The Mortal With The Green Eyes
by eclipsebella86
Summary: OS, Loki & OC: Loki, is banished to Earth for breaking Asgardian law, he meets Raven, a young woman whom is unlike anyone he has ever met before. His life is forever changed as a result. Rated M for language, violence, and sexual content. **Disclaimer: ANY names, logos, companies and other copyrighted material contained herein, remains the property of their respective owners!**
1. Alcohol and Extraterrestrials

"Grab me another beer, would ya?" Tim grunted as he shifted on his Rolling Stones blanket.  
Although, in retrospect it was more like an itchy straw rug at this point since it was so old. I semi-reluctantly grabbed another cold Budwiser can from the cooler next to me and handed it to him. He cracked it, took a gulp and burped, without so much as a thank you. You're welcome, I thought. I should be having fun right now, we both should, but I can't bring myself to smile amongst the sounds of beer slurping and the subsequent burps that followed. The only good thing about right now was laying back down on the blanket to look up at the stars in between "refills". It is so peaceful here, except for the plethera of crickets in the background. I lose myself for a moment in the sheer beauty of the night sky. The wilderness looks so inviting, even in this light. Up here it's almost easy to forget the hustle and bustle of the city.

Some time has passed and I come to. It's midnight, and Tim is, not surprisingly, blacked out drunk, as always. I scowl at his face in the low light of the campfire, my eyes like the embers, shooting flames at him subliminally. God willing if they would just light him on fire, well not completely engulfed, just enough to wake him up and watch him flail ridiculously to try to put it out. I smile to myself at the thought. He promised he wouldn't drink so much this time, and me being the dumbass I am, I believed him. Then again, I guess, it is half my fault since I bought the beer. I only did that because I thought we could both get drunk and have some fun together, but that, like everything else about this weekend, has gone to shit. Why do I put up with this? I shake my head to myself. I could never figure out why. It probably has something to do with the fact that my father was an alcoholic and that I am just so conditioned to being around this nonsense, that it is just second nature to me.

His prickly, unshaven, face does him no justice as drool spills from his half-cocked mouth amidst the smell of hot dogs and beer. I pull myself up off the blanket and pack up what was left of the food and put it away. No sense in wasting good food to the ants. Like clockwork, as soon as I stand up, I have to pee. I retire to the bushes at the edge of the site. I go to squat when all of a sudden, the whole sky lit up, almost like someone hit the lights. The sky was lit clear as day. Immediately following the light, was what sounded like a loud boom, like a sonic boom almost. And all of a sudden, in the field down a ways from the site, a stream of light hit the ground and then another boom, this one was lower, almost like a dull thud. There was dust everywhere. At this point, I was so enveloped by what was happening around me, I peed all over my legs and feet.

"Shit! Urgh, really?!" I yell.

I frantically try to dry myself off the best I can. I pull up my pants and run back to the site. I go to wake Tim, when I realize, he's still out cold. Jesus, that fucker could probably sleep through an Atom Bomb. I second guess my decision to try to wake him up to come with me to investigate. I better leave him there, he'll only be a burden. I go into the tent, to my purse, and grab my knife, ya know, just in case. Yea like what am I going to do with this puny thing, but for all I know it's just a boring meteorite or a satellite. In either case, I'd better bring it.

I run through the field towards the crash site with the dim light of our campfire behind me giving me a little courage. There was a lot of dust and debris everywhere surrounding the embankment. I grabbed my knife from off of my pants, flipped out the blade, and gripped it with white knuckles, like my life depended on it. I squint as I make my way through the dust, trying to see what was in front of me.  
"It's probably just a satellite, Raven, or some steaming piece of space junk, or maybe a Russian spy satellite." I giggle to myself.

All of a sudden, the dust cleared. Laying in the crater was, not a satellite, not a meteorite, not space junk, but a man! I look around to make sure I am still alone, as I walk closer to him. What the fuck is going on. Knife still drawn, I walk around to his feet so I could get a good look at the whole picture. He was white, I guess, with black medium length hair. He was wearing a faded green short sleeve shirt, black pants, and black boots. I walked up his side so I could get a better look at his face. Jesus! He was, despite the unbelieveability of the situation, ridiculously handsome. I raise my eyebrows in surprise at the "hot 'alien'" laying in front of me. I slap my face. Ow! Nope, I'm not dreaming. Hmm, what should I do? Call the cops? Yea, right, and say what, 'Oh hey officer, yea this man just fell from the sky and landed next to my campsite,' and he'll reply with, 'Wow, really?! That's the 3rd one today, It's raining men' Yea right, they'd lock me in a loony bin and throw away the key. I would have better luck trying to convince them I saw big foot. I shake my head and smile at myself.

I head back to the campsite to get my cell phone. I peer over at Tim. He's still asleep. Good. I take the phone out from my purse and dial.

"Alice? It's Raven. I need you to do me a favor. I need you to meet me at the campsite. No, the other one, the one next to that huge field. Urgh, you know, the one where we got hammered on Tequila. Yea that one, haha! I need you to bring you're brother too, he's going to need to drive Tim home. No I'm ok, everything's fine, just, well, it would be a lot easier to show you than to try to explain it. Trust me, you won't believe me if I told you, just get here quick. Ok see you in a little bit"

I press END and put the phone in my back pocket. Alice is my roommate, and my best friend. We grew up together. She was the book worm and I was the party girl. As cliche as that sounds. There's not much of anything that girl wouldn't do for me.

I make my way back to the dark-haired man from the sky. I reach the edge of the crater and see that he is still unconscious. I walk up to his shoulders and kneel beside him. God he's gorgeous! If he is an alien, he's the hottest I've ever seen! I run my left hand over his forehead, down to his cheek when all of a sudden he wakes with a gasp and grabs my hand. I grab my knife with my right and draw.

"Who are you!?" he questions emphatically.

"Umm, well, my name is R -"

"Where am I!?" he interrupts.

"Well, you fell from the-"

"What Realm is this?!" he shouts. I cut in quick in order to get a word in.

"Ok, well, you won't let me finish any of my sentences so, wait, what? 'Realm' what are you talk-" again I am cut off.

"Tell me who you are, right now!" he demands.

I answer quickly, "My name is Ravena, m-my friends call me Raven" I retreat inside myself like a child that has just been scolded. Our eyes meet, and in an instant, I feel, a connection, or something. I can't quite put my finger on it. Something subliminal.

He suddenly calms, softens and half smiles, "Rav-en-a, what a lovely name. I am Loki Odinson, of Asgard." He replies, much more quieter now.

"What's Asgard, is that like your planet or something?" I am so lost at this point.

"Well I would love to tell you but can I ask something of you?" he says.

"Um ok, sure," I reply

"Would you mind lowering your blade, I can assure you I mean you no harm," his voice sounding ever-more reassuring with every word.

I look to my right hand and realize I've had my knife drawn the whole time. "Oh, yea, sure, sorry. I didn't know who or what to expect." I chuckle a half-assed laugh.

"So, Asgard, where's that?" I re-ask.

"Asgard is the Realm of which I am from," he replies.

"What's a Realm?" I inquire.

"It is complicated to explain, perhaps we should save your query for a later time."

He speaks like he is DEFINITELY not from around here. He almost talks like a wealthy British lord, or, something of the sort.

"Ok, so, how did you get here, do you have a space ship or something?" I'm sure I sound foolish to him, because I sound foolish to myself.

"My father, Odin, sent me here, to this Realm. I was banished," His face lengthens and his head drops.

I go to start more with the Q&A when I hear leaves rustling behind me. I stand up quick and re-draw my knife and that cold chill goes down my spine. Loki stands up behind me and starts to brush the dirt off of himself. Great! It's probably the Men In Black. I stand motionless and in an attack pose just in case.

"Raven?" Whispered a soft, familiar voice. "You out here?" she continued.  
Whew, it was Alice, she made it.

"I'm over here," I replied quietly.

"Hey, so, whats...going...on..." she trails off as she gets closer and notices Loki standing behind me and in front of an enormous crater. She outstretches her hands to signal towards Loki and the crater and looks at me all wide-mouthed and bug-eyed.

"Yea, about that, I'll explain when we get back to our apartment, for all we know the Men In Black are about to show up." I giggle.

"Good idea Raven," She agrees and we make our way back to the tent.

"In the meantime, what would you like Ben to do with Tim?"

I go inside and get my wallet out of my purse. I pull out a 20 dollar bill and hand it to Alice. "I just need him to take his car and drive him home. He's stone-drunk and out cold. Have him take him back to his apartment, his apartment key is the red one on his car keys. The car is a little low on gas but this should be enough to get you back to his apartment," she acknowledges and takes the money.

"What would you like Ben to tell him?" she asked

"Have him write a note to leave for him saying you had another anxiety attack and I left to be with you," I half cock a smile and lower my eyes, as does she, and I know I've done no offense.

I walk over to the blue 2012 Chevy Silverado that belongs to my dimwitted boyfriend to see Ben already loading him into the passenger seat. He was STILL out cold, Jesus! Ben also took down the tent and packed up everything else, as well as put my things in Alice's car.

"Hey Ben, how've you been, how's the new job going so far?" He secures Tim in the seat, fastens the belt, reclines the seat and shuts the door.

"It's going great so far, thanks for asking," he replies.

"I'm glad to hear that, you definitely deserve it," I smile.

"Thanks Raven," he answers. He climbs into the truck. Alice has already given him his instructions. He starts the engine.

"Drive safe," I say as he starts to drive away. I wave and watch the taillights disappear down the dirt road. We then turn round to see Loki mulling about the campsite touching everything. It was kind of cute, like a little kid. I shake my head and think 'Men In Black.'

"We gotta get out of here" I say as I grab Loki's hand and walk towards the car. Loki rips his hand from mine.

"What is this contraption?" He points to the car.

"It's called a car, it moves people around, it's completely safe, I promise." I chuckle to myself at the thought of my driving record.

We pile into Alice's Audi A6 and head on out.


	2. Cat Toys Everywhere

It's 3 am and the road out of the campsite is long, bumpy and twisted. Definitely the kind of road you hear about leading away from "close encounters." Alice remains focused on the road despite her frequent glances into the rear-view mirror to our passenger. I look at her, and she looks at me as if to convey, 'what have we gotten ourselves into girl?' I want to talk to Loki, but I can't bring myself to say anything at this point. All I can do is stare into his emerald green eyes through the space between the headrest and the seat that are dimly lit by the multitude of the Audi's red interior buttons. Amongst his gazing about the inside of the car, his eyes meet mine. I look away, at, the sunroof. The sunroof? Why the fuck would I need to look at the sunroof at 3am?! He reaches out and gently places his hand on my left shoulder. I peer out from behind my headrest wall.

"May I ask, why you stare at me? Is there something wrong?" he asks.

I shift my eyebrows in an 'aww' fashion, "No Loki, not at all, this night has just been, well, a little weird for me is all."

"I completely understand. All this seems just as strange for me as I'm sure it does for you," he reassures.

I find myself once again, lost in those eyes of his.

"Yes Ravena?" He interrupts half smiling as if to gesture me to continue a sentence I don't remember starting.

"Huh? Oh. Sorry. Nothing Loki," I once again cower inside myself. I want to make mention of his attractiveness, as is my custom, but I have a feeling that Alice would reach over and 'Gibbs-slap' the back of my head if I did. He tilts his head slightly and smiles as he closes his eyes, turns to look out the window, and reopens them. Urgh he's gorgeous.

I turn back round in my seat just in time to see a familiar and inviting sign, Birch Street; home sweet home. We turn right into the pebbled driveway, up to the light blue raised ranch. It's a very nice place. Very well taken care of by our landlords, Arthur and Gloria, an older couple in their late 60's. They live upstairs and we live downstairs. Gloria is quite the avid gardener, hence the well manicured landscaping and vegetable garden out back. Arthur is a small engine mechanic/handy man, so needless to say there are machine parts scattered all over his workbench in the garage. Gloria always leaves us fresh veggies in a basket when she picks up our rent check. It's always fun coming home and seeing that I get to have a fresh salad that night. They also give us access to the right side of their 2-car garage. Alice and I take turns parking there since they only have one car between them. Gloria doesn't drive. She can't. She has epilepsy. Poor Gloria has never experienced what it's like to drive a car, because at any moment she could have a seizure. I frown to myself at the thought.

Alice pushes the button to open the garage but decides to park outside. Good idea on her part. We have no idea how the coming hours may play out. We may need to leave in a hurry. She puts the car into park, takes a deep breath, pats both her legs with her hands, and exhales. She looks at me , I look back and we both turn to look at Loki, who is occupied with playing with her power window switch. We look back at each other, smile, and exit the car. I walk back to Loki's door and put my hand on the handle, at which point Loki stops messing with the switch and presses his lips together like a little kid as if to convey, 'Ok, I'm done."

"We're here Loki," I say as I open his door.

"Is this your dwelling?" he asks ever so adorably.

"Yep, this is where I live with Alice," I smile back.

Loki goes to stand up, but is held in place by the seat belt.

He chuckles, "may I ask how does one remove this device?" he signals to the belt with his open hands.

"Oops, sorry, here, like this," I reach across his lap to the button. As I reach over, I notice that it is now HIM staring into MY eyes. I lose focus for a second and without realizing it, I am attempting to click the button to an empty belt buckle. I blush and re-reach for his. The belt clicks free and Loki swats the belt from his shoulder. He is so funny. I reach out my hand to lead the way, he reaches back, grabs my hand, and he exits the Audi.

We walk into the left side of the garage, passed Arthur's maroon Volvo XC70 wagon, not too sure of the year, although its in great shape in any case. In the back left corner, perpendicular to their door, is our door that leads downstairs. Just like clockwork, there is a smiley face drawn on our empty rent check envelope on top of a basket full to the top with cucumbers, green beans and tomatoes. Yes! I smile warmly as I pick up the basket.

Alice leads the way opening the door and the 3 of us walk down the hard-wood stairs. The smell of about 6 or so Bath & Body Works Lavender Wallflower plugins fill the apartment and greet us as we head down the stairs. Ahh it's good to be home. I place my things on the couch. There is no way in hell I am going to unpack now, not with our handsome guest here. I peel my jacket off and hang it on the coat rack after Alice hangs hers.

"Can I get you anything Loki, something to eat, drink?" I think to myself, 'is that a weird question, for all I know he's like a vampire and doesn't require food. Well if that's the case lets hope he doesn't drink blood.' I half-cock a smile to myself.

"Water would be lovely," he responds warmly.

I walk past the black leather couch to the kitchen

"Feel free to sit down and make yourself comfortable," I gesture to the couch.

He runs his hand over the couch examining the texture of the leather and then sits. I open the refrigerator door and grab a bottle of Poland Springs and shut the door. As I walk back over to him, I trip on a cat toy.

"Dammit Toby!" I grumble to myself.

"To-by?" He questions, squinting.

"Yea that's our cat, he's a little punk sometimes. Always leaving his toys everywhere." I reply.

"Cat?" he asks.

I giggle, "A cat is a small furry animal that humans keep as pets."

"Ah," he nods in acknowledgement.

I hand Loki the water bottle and sit down next to him. Alice sits in the matching chair diagonal from us. He begins to examine the bottle and then bangs it against the arm of the couch.

"How does one remove the liquid?" He seems confused as hell.

I laugh out loud. "Like this," I take the bottle back from him and twist the top from the seal to show him then re-cap the bottle.

"Ahh. I'm sorry for being so troublesome. You humans have some strange things," he raises an eyebrow and chuckles as he re-removes the cap and takes a sip of the cold water.

"You don't even know the half of it, " I half-cock a smile and shake my head. I look over at Alice and she gingerly nods at me as if to say, 'Alright time for the Q&A'

"So, Loki, now that we're home safe and sound, why don't you start off by telling us about yourself and the circumstances surrounding you ending up 1000 feet from my campsite," I intertwine my fingers and place them atop my crossed legs.

He huffs slightly while smiling and begins. "Well, I was banished here by my father, Odin. After some process of elimination, I have determined that I have been sent to the Realm of Midgard. Earth I believe it's called."

"Ok, see, you lost me again, what's a 'Realm'" I chuckle.

"Well you see, in all, there are 9 Realms; Asgard, Vanaheim, Alfheim, Nidavellir, Midgard, or Earth, Jotunheim followed by Svartalfheim, Hel, and Muspelheim. They are all connected by the Bifrost, or Rainbow Bridge," he pauses and just as he goes to continue, Alice jumps from her chair and throws her hands in the air.

"I know what he's talking about!" She exclaims as she runs to her room towards her bookcase. She pulls a ratty red book off the shelf and prances back towards the couch and plops down. 'Vikings' is the title on the cover. She opens the Table of Contents and flips to the page in question. "Here!" she opens the book and spins it round onto the table towards us revealing a sketched map across the two pages. "He is referring to the 9 worlds as described in Norse mythology! What he calls 'Realms' we could equate with dimensions."

Jesus, this is getting complicated. I raise my eyebrows and bug my eyes open and shake my head.

"Think of it this way, Raven; there are 9 dimensions and Earth is one of them as well as Asgard, where Loki's from and the Bifrost is like a wormhole that connects all of them," she nods at me smiling. God she is such a nerd sometimes. Although she regained my attention when she said wormhole, since I am a Star Trek fan, so I understood the reference.

"Very well put, Alice," Loki chimes in. He then looks at me, "your friend seems to know a lot about where I'm from." I scoff lovingly.

"Yep, that's my Alice, the beautiful bookworm." I wink playfully at her as not to offend, she smirks back in acknowledgement.

"So my next question for you is why were you banished?" Loki's face instantly blanks and sinks in on itself. I appear to have struck a nerve.

"It is painful to speak of. The memory is still too fresh. Perhaps some other time when I feel better," he sulks.

"I'm sorry, I was just trying to better understand who you are, I didn't mean to intrude," I look down at my lap as I twiddle my fingers.

"It is ok Ravena, you did not know," his face becomes warm again as he smiles reassuringly at me.

"Call me Raven," I reply.

"Raven." He repeats in a silky voice that trails off as he exhales. I look again at his eyes when I look around his face to see the clock behind him on the wall. 5 am. Damn.

"Wow its late, or, early, or whatever, either way I'm wrecked as I'm sure you both are. We should get some sleep. You, do, sleep, Loki, yes?" I say as I stand up and stretch.

"Yes I sleep," he smiles as he picks up on me knowing absolutely nothing about his kind.

"I'll go get you a blanket and pillow and you can sleep on the couch, if that's ok,"

"That would be lovely," his smile beaming from ear to ear. I turn to walk to linen closet in the hall passed the kitchen when I again step on another one of Toby's toys. Dammit, I need to stop stumbling about like a drunk, I'm being so obvious. I open the closet and pull down a black duvet and grab a pillow off my bed, since I have 6 of em. I walk back over and had them to Loki. Alice goes to pick up her book off the coffee table but decides to leave it there. She stands up and walks over to where I am since her room is across from mine.

"Good night Loki. I'll see you in the morning," I chime.

"Good night Raven. Good night Alice. Thank you both for your generous hospitality," he smiles and nods at us both.

"Good night Loki," says Alice. She looks at me with that look like she knows what's up and retires into her room and closes the door softly. I walk backwards towards my room not able to take my eyes off of him as he sinks down on the couch throwing the blanket over his legs and positioning himself comfortably on the couch. I walk into my room and close the door smiling ear to ear and taking what seems like the deepest breath I have ever taken. I change into a black tank top and black plaid pajama pants, pull back the cover, and lay down. I smile as I close my eyes. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day.


	3. Sausages and Bacon

I slowly come to and open my eyes. For a brief moment, I have forgotten about the events of the previous night. Wait, no I haven't. My eyes bulge open, but then squint in puzzlement. I sniff the air. Smells like, food. I crawl out of bed and growl. 11 am. I slip my feet into my black fuzzy Jessica Simpson slippers and shuffle towards the door rubbing my eyes. I open my door to see Alice's door is still shut. At which point I re-bulge my eyes open at the thought of who is making food. Loki. I shuffle on into the kitchen and when I turn the corner, there he is standing in front of the stove with 2 burners going and something on both of them. He picks up one of the pans and begins to move the contents about with a spatula. As I walk into the kitchen the hardwood creaks and Loki spins around and our eyes meet.

"Oh, you're awake. Did you sleep well?" he asks while moving sausages about on the pan in his hand. I am in shock and awe and the fact that not only has Loki figured out where the food was but how to turn the stove on and cook!

"How did you, where, um, so, how'd you figure out how to use the stove?" I ask putting my hands on my hips while squinting and laughing. Loki puts the spatula down and holds his hand up to reveal a piece of paper towel wrapped around his right thumb.

"Well, I figured that this was the room that the food was kept so I went through all the compartments to see what I could find. When I got to this large white machine and opened it, I immediately recognized the uncooked meats. I wasn't too sure exactly what they were but assumed they couldn't be much different then what I have back home. Next I tried to figure out how to cook them. I knew I couldn't start a fire in here, so I assumed one of these devices cooked the food. I came over here to this black metal box with all the dials and concluded that this was the cooker. After messing with the dials, I had placed my hand on the the red surface and in burning my thumb, figured out how to use it. Then I saw all these metal containers hanging here and they looked similar to what I use to cook back on Asgard so, once again assumed these were the proper cooking containers" He points to the pot & pan rack above the island with his bandaged thumb and half cocks a smile. Aww he is so cute.

"Aww you poor thing," I walk over to him and take the pan from his hand and place it back on the stove. Boy he wasn't kidding, he cooked up a storm, sausages and BACON! I cradle his hand in mine and remove the paper towel he's wrapped around his thumb. His thumb is red but otherwise not badly injured. I smile lovingly at him as I gingerly caress his hand. He smiles back warmly. I snap back to reality. "Well, yes, um, let me, go, get you a proper bandage for that," at this point my heart is beating out of my throat to the point where I can hear nothing but thumping in my head. I turn out of the kitchen down the hall passed our rooms to the bathroom. I kneel on the lilac fuzzy bath rug and open the cabinets under the sink. I stop and position my legs Indian-style. I feel my pulse. Jesus that fucker feels like its gunna burst out of my neck. I shake my head and rummage through the first aid kit and find the bandages. Here they are! I grab a band-aid and as I go to stand up and reach for the knob, Alice has opened the door from the other side. I jump slightly.

"Do you know Loki is in our kitchen cooking sausages and bacon?" she whispers to me smiling with eyebrows raised and her thumb pointed over her shoulder back towards the kitchen.

"Yea. He is isn't he," I giggle.

"What's with the band-aid?" she asks.

"Oh, Loki burned his thumb trying to figure out how to use the stove," I raise my eyebrows in an aww fashion and tilt my head.

"You've got a thing for this guy don't you?" shes asks. Not like I've done a good job at hiding it or anything.

"Is it that obvious?" I squint and lower my head as a chuckle.

Alice just shoots me a look. I know that look. Here it comes. *Whack* She 'Gibbs-slaps' me in the back of the head.

"Ow!" I squeak as I rub the back of my head.

"What are you doing Raven, you know nothing about this guy or his intentions or anything of the sort, plus you're seeing someone, remember?" she motions to the picture of Tim and I on my dresser from around the corner.

Then it hits me; Tim! I had become so enamored with Loki and everything that has happened, I forgot about my boyfriend, well, if you can call him that.

"Shit! Has Ben called you yet?" I ask as I walk passed her into my room to get my cellphone.

"No not yet," she replies as I pick up my phone.

I slowly pull the phone from on top of my dresser, weary of what I am going to read on the screen. 26 missed calls and 8 voicemails; all from Tim. Shit. I turn around and show Alice the screen. She looks at me, raises her eyebrows and turns and walks out towards the kitchen. I put the phone in my bra and walk back out in the kitchen behind her. At this point, Loki has finished cooking and is searching the cabinets for plates. I walk over to him and open the cabinet next to the fridge and pull down 3 plates; all while smiling at him and diving into his stunning eyes, once again. I reach for his injured thumb and wrap the band-aid around it. He smiles and nods slightly. I set the plates on the island and help Loki distribute the food amongst them. God I'm hungry.

"Thank you Loki, for cooking. It was very nice of you," I say before taking another bite of the spicy sausage.

"You're very welcome, Raven," he nods to me, "Alice," he nods to her.

"Thrnk yrou," Alice mumbles through a mouthful of food. We all start laughing.

I look over at Alice, "I have to call Tim," though I have no intention of wanting to, I know I have to, because he will eventually come here and that won't go over well.

"Is Tim the fellow I saw being loaded unconsciously into the blue 'car' last night?" he inquires.

"Yea," I half a smirk unwillingly and roll my eyes.

"Is Tim your mate?" he ask cluelessly.

"Ummm well, kinda, here we call it boyfriend. Although our relationship is less than stellar," I tilt my head sadly towards him like a sad puppy, hoping he would pick up on it. He does.

"Oh, I am sorry to hear that," his voice sinks and his head lowers. The look on his face oddly resembling the look he made when I asked why he was banished. Hmm. I reach across the island and place my hand on his.

"It's ok Loki," I smile. He smiles back halfway.

I pull the phone from out of my bra and sigh heavily. I walk into my room and close the door. I click on my recent calls, select Tim's name and dial. It rings 3 times before he picks up.

"WHERE...THE FUCK...HAVE YOU...BEEN?!" he screams into the phone to where I have to pull away from the speaker.

"Jesus! You passed out drunk last night and I had Ben drive you home because Alice was having another attack," he cuts me off.

"Oh a likely story you little bitch, what were you really doing, banging someone else?! Huh? You know what I don't even give a shit right now. Whatever. I feel like a bag of ass!" He belts into the phone

"Would you like me to come over and spend some time with you and maybe make you something?" I ask cowardly.

"Whatever, fine, I don't really care," he brushes off.

"Ok, well I'll be there in 10. Love you," I say timidly

He hangs up without repeating. Shit he's pissed. I don't know what to expect when I get there. I walk back out of my room and Loki and Alice have finished their food and are now sitting on the couch. Alice looks over at me and knows what I am about to say without me even saying it.

"You guys gunna be alright while I'm gone?" I ask.

Alice looks at Loki who is mesmerized by the TV, "I think we'll manage hun, be careful will ya," she frowns a bit.

I frown back at her. Loki's eyes lock with mine. I feel like he can sense my pain, like he knows without me saying anything. I pause for a moment with my hand on the wall and one foot on the first step as I continue to look back at Loki. I feel very strange, like I can almost hear him telling me to be safe, but, in my head. I close my eyes as I turn back towards the stairs and walk up. I get to the top of the stairs and Arthur is in the garage fixing a weed-wacker.

"Hey Raven, how's it going?" He asks cheerfully with grease on his face and hands. Such a sweet old man.

"Oh hey Arthur, I'm good. I see you got yourself another piece of lawn equipment to tinker with," I smile kindly.

"Yea, it's my son's. He's working all the time and when he finally does have time, there's only enough to actually DO the yard work, so I'm helpin him out by fixing this darned thing," he huffs in an adorably elderly way.

"I hear ya, well, you have fun with that and tell Gloria thank you as always for the veggies," I say as I wink

He gives me a thumbs up and smiles, "You got it hun,"

I continue out of the garage towards my car. My baby. My everything. My black 2012 Hyundai Genesis Turbo Coupe. I love my car. I click the unlock button and the car chirps in acknowledgement. I open the door and plop onto the leather racing bucket seat. I pause for a moment before tossing my black Coach clutch onto the passenger seat, close the door, place both hands on the steering wheel, look down into my lap and sigh; hard. Here goes nothing. I press the clutch, wriggle the shifter into neutral and push and hold the start button. The engine hums to life. I love that sound, like a purring wild Tigress. Krewella comes on the radio, but I turn it down. Not really in much of a music listening mood right now. I click the seat belt on, put on my sunglasses and back out of the driveway.

15 minutes go by and I'm pulling into the visitor's parking spot in his apartment complex. He lives here with his frat boy roommate whom he met his 2nd year of his failed college attempt. I park and lock the car and walk over to the main entrance. I open the door and press the call button to unit 54. The door buzzes open. Nothing from the mic, just open the door. Sigh. I don't even bother with the elevator. I walk up the stairs to the 2nd floor. I am nervous as fuck at this point, my adrenaline pumping and my pulse racing as I approach his door. Number 54. I knock. Not even a second passes and the door swings open, and in that split second I can see that Tim is already drunk. I am immediately regretting my decision to come here alone. He grabs my shoulder and rips me in so hard, my flip flop bends and I trip and fall forward to the ground.

"What the fuck is you're problem Tim?!" I ask like I don't already know. Ow that freakin hurt. My toe bent in a funny way when my flip flop got caught on itself.

"I can ask myself the same question, bitch!" he barks. "You ditch me last night, and have you're 'bestie's' brother drive me home and leave me with this," he holds up the note that Ben had written. I grab it from his hand, 'Girls went home, Alice had another attack, you were passed out, sorry bro, -B'

"Well, yea, you were stone-cold blacked out, what was I supposed to do. You were no good to be unconscious, plus you promised me you wouldn't drink so much. I really wanted to have fun with-" I am cut off by a sharp pain to my right eye and a flash of light. Everything goes dark, quiet, peaceful.

I come to and my right eye is writhing in pain. An hour has passed and I am laying on the ground. There's a small pool of blood next to where my face was. I touch my face with my right hand as it shakes and feel the dried blood under my right nostril. I crawl towards the bathroom, looking around for Tim, who is passed out in his ratty La-Z Boy. That bastard! I pull myself up using the sink and flip the light on. A fucking black eye! I grab a towel and wet it to clean the blood from my face. I have to get out of here. I tip toe to his kitchen and grab a bag of frozen corn from the freezer. Clearly not Tim's since that jerk only eats junk. I place the bag on my eye, pick my clutch off the ground and slowly sneak out the door. When it closes, I sprint down the hallway but lightly, allowing me to move faster. I bolt down the stairs. I am bawling at this point. I run to my car, get in and lose it. I grab the steering wheel and take a deep breath. Fuck it! I leave the complex and head home.

I pull in the drive way to find Alice's car missing as well as Arthur's. Well at least that's half a good sign, at least I won't have to try to explain this shiner to him. I park and head inside wondering where Alice and possibly Loki went. As I head downstairs, all I hear is, 'welcome, to Jurassic Park' coming from the TV. But who's watching it? I sneak down the last few stairs and peer around the wall. Loki is sitting on the couch watching the TV. He seems mesmerized by it. I reach the last step trying to sneak into the bathroom in an attempt to cover the black eye when the floor creaks. Damn, that happens way too much when you don't want it to. Loki turns around and his eyes immediately widen in sheer horror.

"Raven, by the Gods, what has happened to your eye?!" he stands up and heads towards me hurriedly.

I feel a sense of embarrassment for some reason as I lower my head in shame, "oh, this, it's nothing," I reply lying through my teeth.

He gently cups my chin and lifts my head and tilts the black eye towards him, "Who has done this to you, did your boy-friend do this?!" he asks a bit more emphatically.

I say nothing. I only look into his eyes. Mine start to water. I close them tight. All of a sudden I feel Loki pull me into him hard as he wraps his arms around me. I can't help but to start crying. He hugs me tighter, and in that very instant, I feel, safe, warm, enveloped in a feeling that, at my age, I should be more familiar with. I reach up his back and hold him so tight. I feel like I've known him for years even though it hasn't even been 24 hours. I can sense, subliminally almost, that he is kind and good-hearted. I don't know how I know, I just do. I pull back slightly and our eyes meet. His eyes look back and forth at my eyes and before I knew what happened, he places his hands on my cheeks and kisses me. My eyes open in shock for a split second, but then slowly close as I give into the sheer ecstasy of his embrace. The kiss starts off as simply our lips pressed together, but then turns into him kissing my bottom lip with both of his and visa versa. I feel all my pain disappear in an instant. The kiss continues for what seems like an eternity as my pulse pounds faster with every passing moment. Then, as quickly as it started, he pulls away, but still holding onto my shoulders with his hands.

"I am so sorry Raven. I don't know what came over me. I feel terrible about what has happened to you, like somehow, I could have prevented it," he implores sadly.

"Loki, trust me, you have done me no wrong. There is no way you could have prevented this," I gesture to my face, "it just...happened," I say sadly.

"Raven, your mate has harmed you terribly. Where I come from, that sort of thing NEVER happens. Women are treasured and valued more than the finest jewels, the freshest foods, the most precious of metals. Seeing this has truly upset me," he sits back down on the couch sliding his hands off my shoulders down my arms to my hands. I sit down as well. He tilts his head to the side and sighs and in doing so has released my hands from his and buries his head in his hands and begins to weep softly.

I place my hand on his back, "what's wrong Loki?"

He looks up at me and places his hand on my leg while taking a deep breath, "I will now tell you why I was banished," he pauses and takes another breath, "I fell in love with a woman. The most beautiful woman I had ever met. Lina. Her name was, Lina. The only problem was, according to our law, royalty can only consort with royalty; she was not royalty, I am. Our love was discovered by my father who then banished Lina forever from Asgard to a Realm not of my knowledge and me, here, until he saw fit for me to return." he leans back and lays down on the couch on his back. I crawl to his right against the couch and lay next to him, my leg draped over him and my arm across his chest.

"I am so sorry, that must be very painful for you," I say sadly. He looks at me and runs his hand through my long black hair. It feels very nice. He manages a half smile as he leans up and kisses my forehead. I close my eyes as he does and he wraps his arms around me. I begin to drift off.


	4. ESP and Chicken

Chapter 4  
I awake in Loki's arms. 6pm. I feel so at peace. A feeling I haven't felt since I was a child. I gaze up towards his face to find him staring at me warmly with a smile. I have never felt this kind of enveloping calmness in my life, again, since I was a baby in my mother's arms. For a moment, I thought I heard him speak, like he said, '_I am here Raven. I am here for you_,' I ask him, "did you say something Loki?" he smiles and again, I hear '_no_' but, IN MY HEAD. I perk my head up slightly and look at him bewildered. "Did you, just, talk to me, in my head?" I say aloud.

He smiles deviously, "_Yes I did Raven, it's one of my many gifts. I didn't feel it was appropriate to use it just yet but after our encounter a little while ago, I saw fit to reveal it to you,_" he squints and continues that devious smile.

"Can I talk back to you that way?" I ask.

"_Yes you can, simply think what you wish to say. I will hear it,_" he nods to me to give it a try.

And like the total dork I am I come up with this, "_Testing, testing, can you hear me Loki?_" I think.

He giggles, "_Yes Raven I can hear you,_" he reaches for my face and slides his fingers through a few strands of my hair, then gently glides the tips of his fingers across the edge of my right eye and saddens his face.

I close my eyes at his touch, "_I shouldn't have gone to his house. I knew it wasn't a good idea, but I did anyway,_" I begin to weep. As the first tear reaches the bottom of my jawline, he reaches out and gently wipes it with the tip of his thumb, then slowly pulls my head back toward his and kisses me. This time, it's slow, gentle, loving. His lips are so soft and inviting. I feel my neck start to kink, so I throw my left leg over his body, straddle on top of him and throw my hair over the left side of my neck. He places his hands on my sides then slowly slides them down my hips and rests them on the sides of my thighs. I feel as if nothing else around me matters, nothing, noone, at all. I pull up for a brief moment and peer weightlessly into his eyes, "_I feel so close to you Loki, what have you done to me?_" I cup his face with my hands.

He places his hands around my wrists, "_No Raven, what is it that you have done to me? I feel like meeting you was not an accident. The circumstances surrounding our paths crossing were predetermined. It was destiny. I was meant to find you, and you were meant to find me. I feel like I must protect you. At all costs._"

I begin to lose myself in his gaze when, once again, I notice the time, "It's getting late, I need to get dinner started because I want to go to bed early since I haven't gotten any real sleep this weekend. I gotta go to work tomorrow also," I lean up, still on top of him.

"What is your profession Raven?" he asks, his hands still on my thighs.

"I'm a waitress at a very nice restaurant," I reply.  
"Wai-tress?" He asks.

I chuckle slightly, "I work at a place that serves very expensive Italian food. I take peoples' orders and then bring it to them," I smile.

"Ah, that sounds delightful. Do you enjoy it?"

"It's not too bad. The people that eat there are mostly rich so they leave good tips, er, very generous gratuities," I explain further.

"Ah, well you seem like a very strong willed young woman, I'm sure you're very good at your job," he reaches up and gently touches my left cheek.

I drop my left leg to the ground and throw my right up over Loki, stand up and stretch. Loki throws the blanket over his legs, looks up at me with the most gut-wrenching puppy dog face and pats the blanket next to his leg signaling me to lay with him.

"_Lay with me a little longer, I was enjoying that,_" he smiles.

"_I'd love to, but I think when Alice comes home and sees us on the couch, she might have a mini-meltdown._" I think while half smiling and pointing over my shoulder towards the stairs. At which point, the door at the top of the stairs opens. "_Speak of the devil,_" he cocks his head, "_It's a saying meaning, 'Speaking of said person'_" he nods in acknowledgement.

Alice gets to the bottom, and like Loki, her eyes widen at the sight of my eye, "_Here we go,_" I think as I look back at him quick and back to Alice.

"What the fuck Raven! Did Tim do that?!" She screams while running to my side.

"Yea, fucking asshole was smashed when I got there, I barely got to say anything before he did this and I blacked out."

She grabs my face and tilts it towards her. Jesus, everyone wants to touch my face today, I'm sure she could see the shiner from where she was.

"We need to do something about him, you need to break up with him. This needs to stop Raven! The pushing and shoving is one thing but this graduated him to a new level of psycho," she belts as she waves her arms in the air.

"_He is an evil man, Raven, you should listen to Alice and remove him from your life. He doesn't deserve you,_" I hear Loki say in my head. I look at him and he has a very stern yet reassuring look on his face. I look back at Alice.

"You're right, when I get home from work tomorrow and settle in, I'm gonna call him and tell him it's over!" Alice looks over at me with that, 'you freakin better' look before she makes her way to her bedroom and closes her door. I think she is starting to pick up on my interactions with Loki and also realizes he means me no harm, who knows, for all I know, Loki has been talking in her head too.

Loki looks over at me, "_I really hope to decide to end things with him, If you'd like, I'll go with you when you do._" He smiles at me.

"_Thank you Loki, but that won't be necessary, I'm going to do it over the phone to avoid any further complications,_" I walk back over to the back of the couch, lean down and give Loki a kiss and run my hands down off his face as I walk away. His smile lights up from ear to ear. "_So, are you hungry,_" I think as I wink at him.

"I'm famished Raven, yes I would love some food," he says aloud. I guess I was getting used to the idea of being able to talk to him without speaking, that for a moment I forgot that I could just, speak. I giggle to myself.

"What would you like me to make?" I ask.

"I WANT YOUR LEMON CHICKEN WITH RED PEPPERS!" Alice belts from her bedroom. As she finishes her sentence opens her door and prances out to the living room in blue spankies and a powder blue tank top and her matching running Nikes. She pulls out one of her ear buds from her ear and pauses her Ipod.

"Pleeease roomie, I love your chicken," she insists as she jumps about like a little kid.

"Sure I could go for chicken," I look over at Loki, he nods.

"Yay! Ok I'm going to go for a jog. I'm sure it will be done by then," she pops her ear back in and heads up the stairs.

I look over at Loki and smile coyly as he stands up and walks towards me. He stands for a moment in front of me as our eyes lock and puts his arms around me. His arms enveloping like a warm blanket. He holds me for a moment before letting go.

"_I couldn't resist but to walk over and hug you, you looked so inviting,_" he smiles deviously down at me. I don't know what he is talk about, I'm still wearing the same pjs from this morning.

"_You are too cute Loki, now let me cook other wise Alice is going to come home and wonder why the food isn't done._" I lightly touch his chin with my pointer finger and thumb as I turn around towards the kitchen, rolling my eyes as I walk away. I open the fridge and take out the package of chicken breasts and the jar of marinated red peppers slices as well as the lemon juice. Pulling open the drawer from under the stove, I take out a flat pan. I preheat the oven to 375. I grab a bowl from under the island and take out the chicken. As soon as I peel back the cellophane from the chicken, Toby, whom had since been MIA this entire time, decides to jump on the island to investigate.

"Dammit Toby! No!" I shoo him off the island before he reaches the chicken. Toby is a pain sometimes, but I love him. He is a brown and black striped tabby mix. Our little ball of mush. I take each piece of chicken out and wash it off before putting them in a bowl. I then pour in a bunch of lemon juice, powdered oregano and the pre-marinated red peppers and let them sit. I walk back over to the couch and kneel against the back and prop my head and hands on the top. I gaze into Loki's eyes. "You have very beautiful green eyes, Loki. I can't stop looking at them. They captivate me,"

"_Thank you Raven, that means a lot to me. You have very beautiful eyes yourself. The most vivacious color green, like the grassy plains of Asgard,_" He says back.

"_So what's Asgard like?_" I ask.

"_It is a wonderful place. It is a place unlike, I'm sure, anything you've ever seen in your life. It is basically a continent floating in space. The city is filled with tall gleaming buildings, magnificent statues, beautiful gardens and bustling streets. The rest of the continent is a mix of forests, deserts, glaciers and the likes of that,_" he says with a smile as always.

"_You mentioned earlier that you were royalty, are you a king, or, what are you,_" I ask.

"_I am not the king, my father Odin is king of Asgard. My mother, Friga, is queen and I am a prince along with my brother, Thor,_" he replies.

"_Would I ever be able to go to Asgard or is that a big deal, a human going there?_" Asgard sounds wonderful, definitely better then where I am.

"_It is possible. However given the circumstances of my banishment, I would have to gain permission from my father, that is if he decides to call me back,_" his face drops slightly at the thought.

"_I'm sure he will. All in good time Loki,_" I wink at him as I stand up and turn back towards the kitchen at the sound of the oven dinging. I put the chicken on the pan and put them into the oven.

30 or so minutes go by and the chicken is ready. Alice has just returned from her jog and is finishing up a shower.

"Can you hand me 3 plates from that cabinet Loki?" I ask as I point to the cabinet. He walks over and pulls down 3 plates and sets them on the kitchen table.

"Mmm it smells so freakin good in here," Alice chimes as she comes out of the shower in her pjs, hair still wet.

"I am so hungry," I say looking back at her.

We all sit and dig in. Loki seems famished. Sheesh, he must be used to big royal banquets. Not too much is said at the table, we were all pretty hungry. We all finish up the chicken and it's now 8pm and it's time to retire. I clean off the plates and put them in the dishwasher. Alice puts away everything else.

"I gotta get up early tomorrow for work, how bout you Raven, what time do you need to get up," she asks.

"I don't have to be there til noon so I'm going to try to get a much sleep as possible," I reply.

"Ok, well goodnight everyone, and remember, you better call Tim tomorrow," she says while pointing at me and making a 'phone' gesture with her hands.

"Don't worry, I will," I say with a wink. She turns to her room and closes her door.

I turn back to Loki who is picking at his shirt as if it is sticking to him.  
"_What's up Loki?_" I ask.

"_Well unfortunately, these clothes I came here in are a bit ripe, do you have anything that might fit me?_" He asks with a look of 'sorry to bother you, but.'

"_I have some of Tim's clothes. I know its weird, but you could wear them for now and tomorrow when I get home from work, I could take you shopping._" I reply.

"_That's fine, if it's all that's available, then I will make it work,_" he smiles.

"_In the mean time I can wash the clothes you're wearing now so at least you'll still have those,_" I say as I turn towards my room to get the clothes. I go to my room, to the closet and grab the laundry bin that's filled with his clothes. I pull out a grey t-shirt and black Adidas sweat pants and head back to the living room. And there, standing in my living room, is Loki in nothing but his boxers. Jesus Christ he is ripped! His physique is not that of a crazy body builder, but that of someone who just takes very good care of his body, and occasionally works out. I snap myself back to reality, as has become my custom around him. I walk over to him and hand him the clothes. He takes them from me then places them on the couch. He pulls me back towards him again and kisses me. This time a quick peck.

"_I caught you gawking at my declothed body. I don't mind. I just figured I'd give you a little something for the trouble,_" he says as he smiles that devious smile.

"_Trust me, you're no trouble at all Loki,_" I say as I kiss him back. "Sleep well Loki," I say with a smile.

"You too Raven," he says aloud. I turn around and slowly walk back to my room and close the door. I flip the light switch off and fall onto my bed and throw the covers over me. Good night world.


	5. Battle Royale In The Living Room

*During this chapter I will switch Points Of View between Raven & Loki. Raven will be regular font and Loki will be **bold** and ESP will still remain _italic_.*

"_Wake up Raven ... Wake up. Please wake up Raven, I'm lonely out here,_" I hear Loki's voice in my head as I stir in my bed. 7 am. I turn over and groan at the sight of the clock on my night stand. I sit up and Toby is at the end of my bed on his back snoring. Lazy. I go to get out of the bed and Toby wakes up instantly and bolts to the door and starts rubbing up against it.

"Yea, yea, yea hang on you little brat," I wave at the cat annoyed. I pull my bathrobe off the back of my closet door, seeing as I am wearing only a bra and panties, wrap it around and tie it. I open the door and Toby bolts to the kitchen and jumps up on the counter. "Dammit you! Get down!" I run over to him shooing him down.

"_He seems like a troublesome creature,_" says Loki from across the room. I look over and he is standing up from the couch stretching.

"He's ok, he's just a little incessant sometimes," I say aloud with a half-smirk. "Did you sleep well?" I ask with a smile.

"Wonderfully, yes, thank you," he replies aloud. At which point I notice the grey t-shirt and black Adidas pants of Tim's that he had borrowed from last night.

"I just remembered I washed your clothes last night, let me get them for you," I turn and walk to the bathroom where the washer and dryer are.

"Oh yes, that would be nice, it is a bit awkward to wear these garments but I know it is all you had for me and I appreciate it," he says as he picks at the hoodie with his fingers.

I pull the shirt, boxers, pants and socks from the dryer and walk over to hand them to him. He begins to change right in the living room. He is now standing gloriously naked in the middle of my living room putting his boxers on. I widen my eyes briefly at the sight of his, well, equipment but quickly turn away to appear modest when in reality I want to look. Could you blame me? He sure is royalty alright! I hear Loki huff a giggle under his breath as I turn.

"_I saw you sneak a peak,_" he thinks to me.

"_Well you did just drop-trou in the middle of my living room,_" I reply still facing away from him.

"Well you may turn back around, I am dressed now," he replies aloud as I turn to look at him fully clothed. "You mentioned you wanted to get me some new garments, did you still want to?" He asks as he stumbles trying to put his socks on.

"Absolutely! Sure, yea, I get out of work at 7, I can swing back, pick you up and head over to the mall, they're open until 11."

"Mall?" he replies quizzically.

I smile, "Its a large building that has a bunch of different stores inside of it," I explain to him.

"Again Raven, I am sorry if I ask you so many questions," he says with those puppy eyes.

"Loki, trust me, I don't mind explaining things to you at all. I'm sure if I were in Asgard, I would be doing the same thing," I say as I walk over to the fridge to get something to eat, "in the meantime would you like some breakfast?" I ask as I pull out some leftover fruit salad from the other day, I'm not that hungry.

He smiles ever-so warmly at me, "That would be lovely Raven," he says aloud as he walks over to my side and rests his hand on my side. I look up into his eyes, and playing coy, spin round towards the pantry to get Toby's food, all while still giving him flirty eyes. He notices because as soon as I reach up to grab a can of cat food, he spins me round and scoops me up in his arms for a kiss. Perfection. Once again a quick, tease of a peck. Then it hits me.

"How did you get across the room so quickly?" I say stunned as I plop the stinky, fishy goop into Toby's bowl and toss it over to his corner on the floor. Loki just smiles deviously and he disappears from in front of me and reappears next to the couch, and back again with flashes of white and orange light. I jump at the sight. "Wow! That was really cool! So you can talk telepathically, you can teleport, what else can you do?" He again smiles that devious smile and all of a sudden, he, becomes, ME! He phases into a mirror image of me right before my eyes. I reach out and touch his face and hair. It looks like me, it feels like me. "Woah, Loki, that is freaky! Cool as hell, but freaky," he slowly phases back into his own form. The way in which he changes is actually quite fascinating. It almost looks like scales fliping over on his skin into the new form he is taking. Very cool. "So you can change into anyone?" As I say that, poof, he's Alice! "Damn, that is literally the coolest thing I've ever seen Loki!" I say mouth agape and smiling, hands on my hips. Loki phases back into his form once more.

"If there's one thing you must learn about me my dear, it's that I am full of surprises. On Asgard, I am known as the God of Mischief," he says once again squinting with a devilish gaze.

"'God of Mischief'? So, what, you're like immortal or something?" I ask

"Something like that. You see, humans will call it immortality because Asgardians age at such a slow rate, that it appears that we do not age at all. I, however, will age slightly faster than my parents and Thor because I am not a blood Asgardian. I was born a Frost Giant in the Realm of Jotunheim," I interrupt him.

"Ok, easy there, you're starting to lose me again," I say a bit taken back.

"That's ok Raven. You see, many millenia ago, the Frost Giants of Jotunheim declared war on Asgard. The battle lasted a very long time and was very brutal. Towards the end, my father, Odin, had engaged in one on one combat with the king of the frost giants, my birth father, Laufey and killed him. In doing so, he found me in the next room and decided to take me back with him as he thought it would bring peace between the two realms. It did no such thing. The Frost Giants are extremely vengeful and every so often try to sneak into Asgard and reek havoc. While there is no direct route FROM Jotunheim INTO Asgard, the Frost Giants always seem to find ways in using old magic and hidden passage ways. Most die in the process, and the ones that do make it in, as long as they don't kill anyone, are sent back beaten but alive. That's the law, the shaky truce."

"Wow, there is so much history behind you and your people, it's fascinating," I say as I look over at the time once again. 10 am. "damn we've been chatting for 3 hours, I have to start getting ready for work!"

"No problem Raven, do what you need to do," he leans forward and gives me a kiss on the cheek.

I turn and walk into the bathroom for a long shower.

**What a wonderful woman Raven is, I think to myself. So full of life and ambition, and such a kind-hearted person. I walk around the apartment looking at all her pictures she has. She has many photos. Most of them are of her and Alice. I don't really see any that are what would look like "family photos" though. Should I ask about her family? Maybe there are no pictures of them for a reason. Well I told her about my family, it would make sense that I would ask her, if she doesn't want to talk about them she doesn't have to. For a while now I have forgotten about Lina. My dear Lina. Is it wrong to have forgotten her? Sigh. Raven reminds me so much of her, even down to her appearance. I hear Raven turn on the water to her shower and walk over towards the closed bathroom door. I lean against it, head sulked and eyes closed. I want to knock and go in. I feel like I want to be around her all the time. If it weren't for her finding me, who knows where I would have ended up. I raise my fist up to the door and pause for a moment. I drop my hand. No. I don't want to be intrusive. She seems receptive to my advances, but I don't want to make her uncomfortable. I turn back into the living room and sit down on the couch. No sooner then me sitting down, Thor appears in front of me. I stand back up and smile. I am happy to see him.**

"My dearest brother!" he says as he comes over to me hugs me hard and pats my back. "How I've missed you! How are you fairing in this realm?!" He asks smiling heartily.

"I've missed you too, Thor! Ahh I am doing very well here!" I reply.

"So, you must tell me what has been going on since you arrived," he says as he sits on the couch motioning me to do the same. I sit.

"My brother. I can't explain except to just come out and say it; I've met a woman. Raven. A most extraordinary wo-" I am cut off.

"Wait. What? A woman?! What of Lina? You were devastated at her loss and that happened not too long ago. What would she think of your forgetting her so quickly? Brother. This does not sound like you." He seems noticeably puzzled by my admission.

"Trust me brother, Lina remains in my thoughts, but this woman is wonderful. She is kind, generous, selfless, and, might I add, stunningly beautiful," I grin a sly smile at the thought.

Thor bellows a hearty laugh, "Oh is she? How beautiful is she that she stole your gaze from the thought of Lina?" he asks turning towards me with his hands on his hips. I stand up in front of him and phase into Raven for him with one hand on my hip, an eye brow raised and a sly smile.

"Well?" I say simply.

Thor's eyes widen at the sight. "By the Gods, Loki, you're right. She is stunning. She even looks like Lina! Wow. What has that been like for you?" he asks.

"I am not going to lie, Thor, it was hard at first. However, I have quickly grown to like this woman, a lot," I look to him with my hand over my heart. I phase back to myself. "I mean, there's no way of even knowing what happened to Lina, father swore Heimdall to secrecy," I add.

"True. I don't know what to tell you, Loki. You are my brother and I love you. I trust that you will make the best decision for yourself," he says with a smile. "Unfortunately I must leave you. I don't want father to discover I have come to see you. I don't want to add any more stress to your situation," he says as he puts his hand on my shoulder.

"Thank you for coming to see me Thor," I say as I hug him. He disappears. Just as he does, Raven comes out of the bathroom all dressed and ready for work. "You look lovely Raven," I say warmly as I stand up. Her hair is up in a bun and she is wearing a white button up blouse, black skirt and black high heels. She has put some kind of concealer on her eye so it no longer appears to be bruised.

"Thank you Loki," she replies as she comes over to me and kisses me on the cheek. I put one arm around her and kiss the top of her head. "I do have to leave now though or I'll be late for work," she says as she pulls back and looks up at me.

"Now problem, have a wonderful day and be safe," I say as she begins to walk up the stairs. I hear the door shut.

Now what to do while she is gone? I turn on the T.V and flip through the channels since Alice showed me how to use it the other day. 30 minutes go by and I am jarred by the sound of the door upstairs opening.

"Raven?!" screams a man's voice.

Oh no, it must be Tim. I phase into Alice. I don't want to cause an trouble. Tim stumbles to the bottom of the stairs. He appears to be, once again intoxicated.

"What do YOU want Tim?!" I say sternly.

"Fuck you bitch! Where's my girlfriend?!" He dismisses my statement as he opens Ravens door and Alice's looking for her. "Tell me where she is!" He continues.

"I don't have to tell you anything!" I say back emphatically. He begins to walk over towards me.

"You better tell me where she is bitch or you'll be sorry," he says as he points his finger at me. By the Gods, he can barely stand up he is so drunk.

"You won't do anything Tim, you're nothing but a coward who likes to hit women. You're not a real man at all," I reply with my hands on my hips.

"Wow, you've got a big mouth. Let's see if I can do something about that," he says. No sooner as he finished that sentence, he raises his fist to me and goes to punch me in the jaw. I duck and sweep his legs out from under him. He falls to the ground. "Ow! What the fuck Alice?!" He stands up and attempts to swing again. This time I grab his fist from in front of my jaw and it stops dead. "What the fuck?!" I squeeze his fist and bend it back and he screams in pain and drops to his knees. He tries to pry my grip off his fist but is unsuccessful. "Holy shit! You're hurting me Alice, what the fuck!" He pleads.

"Good. Now. Let's get one thing straight, you are never to bother Raven again. She no longer wishes to see you, do you understand?" I squeeze a little bit tighter. He nods and whimpers. "Never show your face around here again, do you hear me!?" He looks up at me and spits in my face.

"Fuck you cunt!" He yells. I pause for a minute and wipe it from my face. I quickly move behind him and kneel, fist still in tow and wrap his own arm around under his chin and pull it tight against his Adam's apple. I wrap my arm in front of his holding it in place. I pull tight. He lets out a choke.

"I am only going to say this to you one more time. Stay away from Raven. Nod if you understand," I say as I continue the headlock. Nothing. I pull tighter. He grunts, relents and nods. I release him and he drops forwards to the ground clutching his neck and coughing. He turns his head and looks at me terrified.

"You crazy fucking bitch!" he wheezes out from the floor. He stands up still holding his neck and walks backwards back towards the stairs. He reaches the bottom stair and trips backwards onto it. I half smile. He catches himself and stands up. He points at me, "You're gunna regret this bitch!" He says as he turns and heads up the stairs and slams the door. I phase back. That monster still has access to Raven's apartment. That's not good. I have to figure out a way to get the key. I know, I'll have Raven take me to his apartment later after the mall and I'll go inside and take it. I squint my eyes deviously and smile at the thought. Then it hits me. Tim has just threatened Alice. I can't believe I was so stupid to phase into her. I didn't know what else to do at the time. I have to tell Raven when she gets home. And I have to tell Alice.


	6. Fake ID's and Hissing At Shoes

*During this chapter I will again switch Points Of View between Raven & Loki. Raven will be regular font and Loki will be **bold**.*

**A few hours pass, as I've been sitting on the couch watching TV waiting for someone to come home. It is 5 pm. The door opens at the top of the stairs.**

"Hey it's me," says Alice. Oh thank the Gods it's not Tim again. Although I doubt very much that it would have been.

"Hello Alice," I answer back as she reaches the bottom of the stairs. "How was your day?" She puts her purse in her room.

"Very busy, urgh I'm so glad I'm home. I see you remember how to use the TV," she says with a smile as she points to it.

"Oh yes, I've been watching it all day," I reply with a smile. "So Alice, something happened today that I have to tell you about."

Her face blanks, "What do you mean? Bad? What happened Loki?" She asks sternly but not too aggravated.

"Well for starters, there are the some things about me I must explain. I have powers that I need to tell you about. First, **_I can communicate using my mind_****,"**

Her eyes widen, "Woah did you just talk in my head?!" she asks mouth agape.

"Yes Alice, but that is not all. I can also teleport," I teleport from in front of the couch, to her doorway and back.

"Wow that's pretty cool, what else," she has a half smile on her face at this point.

"This last ability is the important one. I can shape-shift into anyone," I phase into her.

She takes a step back mouth agape again, "Holy shit! Wow! That's freaky! So, ok, now, what does this have to do with what happened today?" She asks as she walks to the fridge and pulls out a brown glass bottle with a blue label on it and opens the cap.

"Well, you see, Tim showed up a few hours ago," her eyes widen as she takes a sip from the bottle.

"What!? Seriously?! What happened?!"

"As soon as I heard him at the top of the stairs, I knew that if he had seen me, things would get really bad for Raven, because I knew if I had told him I was someone you knew, theres no way he would believe me," she nods. "I phased into you thinking that would be the best thing to do." I explain.

"Ok, so then what happened?" she asks as she comes over to the couch and sits.

"Well needless to say, he was very drunk and belligerent running around the apartment looking for Raven. He didn't believe me that she wasn't here. He threatened me so I called him a coward. That's when things got bad. He swung at me so I grabbed his fist and incapacitated him. I screamed at him that Raven was done with him and he was to never come back. He then spit in my face. So I took his arm and wrapped it around his neck and choked him until he relented in agreeing to never come back here, or so he says. However, Alice, the last thing he said before he left was, 'You're going to regret that, bitch.' I fear for your safety Alice. I am sorry I took your form but it seemed like the best idea at the time. I had no idea he would attack me, I mean you," I look over at her and she seems unphased.

"Well Loki, thanks for turning me into a little ass kicker," she says as she chuckles slightly, "Trust me I have nothing to worry about, I always carry a knife and pepper spray so if he tries anything, I'll kill him. He won't get a second chance. Raven has always tried to downplay Tim's physical capabilities but I always knew he was a violent drunk. She always had a very lousy poker face," she says as she waves her hand at her face.

"Poker face, Alice?" I ask like a child.

"Meaning she can't hide that she's lying. Her face gives it away," she explains.

"Ah. Well, again Alice, I am sorry," I place my hand on her shoulder.

She pulls my hand from her shoulder and holds it in her hand, "Don't be sorry, I'm not afraid of that loser," she pats my hand before getting back up to throw her bottle away. Just as she throws it away, I hear the door at the top of the stairs.

"Hey guys I'm home," it's Raven. I close my eyes and smile warmly.

"**_Hello my sweet Raven_****," I think to her.**

"**_Ha! Couldn't wait until I got to the bottom of the stairs_****," She replies.**

She reaches the bottom of the stairs. I shake my head slightly and smile.

"So how was your day Loki?" she asks putting her things down on the kitchen counter.

"Apparently Tim showed up here and Loki morphed into me and beat the crap out of him," she says laughing.

"Wait, what?! What do you mean?" she looks over at me.

"I'll show you. I am sorry Alice, I have another power I forgot to show you. It's tactile thought-transfer. Basically I can project thoughts, or memories as well as physical memories simply by touching someone else," I walk over to Raven.

"Jesus Loki, you're just full of surprises aren't ya?" Alice says with a smile. I smile back.

I wrap my hand around Raven's wrist and begin. The entire scene between Tim and I plays before her. Her facial expressions change between shock, and anger and finally laughter. I release my hand from her arm.

"Now you see Raven, he was completely out of control."

"Awesome Loki, you turned Alice into quite the badass," she says nodding her head at Alice. They both start laughing.

"Well if you don't feel threatened by Tim, then so be it, but know this, I will remain vigilant in case he does try anything. I would feel absolutely awful if anything should happen to either of you," I look right at Raven, "**_Especially you_****," I think to her.**

"Don't worry, if anything happens we will be sure to let you know and then you can kick his ass again," she replies with a wink. "So, Loki, ready to go shopping?" she wraps her hands around mine and tugs at them a bit like an excited child.

"Absolutely, I can't wait to get out of these clothes," I look down at the shirt and pants.

"Ok give me a second, let me get changed out of these clothes," she throws me another wink and retires to her room.

I rummage through my closet. I want to wear something cute. Something eye-catching but not too 'I'm trying too hard.' I know! I pull out my olive green and gold lace capped-sleeve, v-neck blouse and my black leggings with the gold rhinestones down the side. I get changed and look in the mirror. Yea that should about do it. I slip on my black Micheal Kors kitten-heels and check myself out in the mirror like an over enthusiastic 16 year old. Ok, I'm ready. I walk back out into the living room and immediately notice Loki's up & down gaze. Alice looks at me with one eyebrow raised and a 'I see what you did there' look as she looks at him and back at me.

"_My, Raven you look beautiful_," thinks Loki.

"_Thank you, I just threw this on,_" I think kind of fibbing. "Let's get going Loki," I say as I hold out my hand for him to grab. He does. His hands are so soft. He smiles down at me.

"Have fun you two," says Alice as we walk up the stairs.

"Bye Alice, be sure to put the deadbolt on when we leave ok?"

"Ok," she responds.

We get to the top of the stairs and Gloria is in the garage bringing her garbage out.

"Hey Gloria," I say waving at her.

"Oh hello Raven, how are you?" She responds warmly.

"I'm well, how are you?"

"Well I haven't had any seizures in 3 weeks now, so I guess that's cause for happiness," she says with her hands on her hips looking proud of herself.

"That's wonderful Gloria, I'm so happy for you," I say as I pat her on the shoulder lightly.

Gloria takes her focus off me and looks over and up at Loki. She gives him a once-over. "My, Raven, who is your friend?" She says with a hand on her heart.

I smile at Loki, "This is my friend, Loki," I say signaling to him with my hand.

"Well does your friend have a last name too, or should I just call him Loki?" She asks with an elderly giggle.

Shit! What was his last name? I know he mentioned it that first night we met. Dammit what was it. I've about given up when Loki steps in.

"Odinson. Loki Odinson. It's a pleasure to meet you," Loki chimes in as he steps forward and picks up Gloria's hand and kisses the top of it. Gloria seems a bit taken back but then smiles and puts her hand back over her chest.

"Such a gentleman, well it's a pleasure to meet you too, Loki. Raven, where did you find such a wonderful man, and what happened to Tim?"

I pause for a spit second as I think of a response, "Well Tim and I are not seeing each other anymore, his drinking got to be too much for me to handle," I say with a fake sad face.

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that dear, well it looks like you'll do alright with Loki here," she winks at me and taps my shoulder with her hand. I smile.

"Loki here is a friend of Alice's. He's ... Norwegian. Very old school. She met him in college and they just recently reconnected," I say once again fibbing. Well, not entirely, seeing as though Norse mythology is based on him and his family. Wow that sounds weird to say, even in my head to myself.

"Either way Raven, he seems like a keeper," she smiles and winks again. She's so funny sometimes.

"Well we're off to the mall. Have a nice evening Gloria," I say as I walk out of the garage and wave.

"You too dear," she replies waving back.

I walk towards my car and hit the unlock button and get in. Loki sits beside me and reaches for my hand. He pauses for a moment as he looks down at it, then looks up at me with those eyes. God, they're like black holes drawing in my gaze where I have no control over it.

"Raven, you ... *sigh* you have gotten under my skin in such a way that I cannot explain or control it. I know it is strange to say but I feel I can be honest with you. I want you to know I am developing very strong feelings for you," his eyes soften to the point where they almost melt out of his skull.

I sigh with relief, "Loki, trust me, it's not weird at all. I feel very strongly for you too. Like you said, there's definitely something about you," I reply as I put my other hand on his.

He leans into me putting his other hand on my cheek and kisses me sensually. His mouth making a thousand promises to me; all of which are kept. He pulls back and kisses me on the forehead.

"Shall we go Raven?" he asks coyly.

"Of course," I reply as I wink. I start the car and Krewella's "Alive" is blasting off my Ipod. I lower it a bit but leave it on. I love this song! I click the seat belt, back out of the driveway and roll the windows down. The song plays on for a bit when I notice Loki start to bob his head slightly. He looks out the window before looking back at me quickly like he didn't notice me looking at him. He smiles coyly.

"What?" He asks giggling trying to play it off. "This music, I like it, make it louder! Ha! I sound like my brother!" he bellows a hearty laugh.

I squint and smile deviously at him, "You got it!" I hit the back button to replay the song, turn the knob and crank the volume. We're both bobbing our heads and enjoying the music. The bass pounding from the subwoofer in the trunk. I feel like I'm a teenager again after first getting my license blasting music down the street with my friends. We're laughing and smiling and having a great time.

20 minutes pass and we are at the mall. I figure the store I can get the most bang for my buck would be Old Navy. Not like Loki would be picky anyway, I think. I park the car and we get out and walk towards the entrance. As we walk inside I can see Loki's face just completely taken back by the place.

"Would you look at this place. We have nothing like this on Asgard. Where I come from, we have royal tailors that make our clothes," he explains.

"Yea, not so much here. We humans buy our own clothes. There are litereally infinite possibilities. Don't worry we'll find something for you," I reply as I grab his hand and head for the men's section. 3 hours and $275 later, Loki now has his own wardrobe.

"So where can I change out of these clothes and put some new ones on?" he asks as he puts his arm around my shoulder.

"Follow me, I'll take you to the bathroom," I grab his hand and head for the food court. We get there and he takes the bags in with him.

"I'll be right back Raven," he says as he winks and walks in. A few moments pass and he comes back out in a black t-shirt with graffiti on it and jeans. He runs his fingers through his hair as he walks towards me, throwing Tim's clothes out on the way. He kisses me on the forehead. "How do I look?" he asks as he holds out his hands.

I giggle at the sight of the tags still being attached. "You forgot to take the tags off silly," I say as I pick the tags and stickers off his outfit. He just smiles warmly at me. "Hey you wanna grab a drink and some food, I haven't eaten since lunch?" I ask as I wrap my arms around his waist and look up at him.

"Sure Raven, I am quite hungry,"

"Ok then, theres a bar & grill downstairs called O'Mally's and after 10 they have music and dancing if you'd like,"

He closes his eyes and smiles, "as long as I am with you Raven, I don't mind where we go," he says as he leans down and kisses me.

I smile up at him and we head downstairs. We get to O'Mally's and for a Monday night, it's pretty busy. Then something occurs to me, "Loki, how are you going to get a drink, you don't have an ID?"

"What's that?" he asks.

I open my clutch and pull out my driver's license and hand it to him. "It basically proves who you are but in a bar, it proves you're old enough to drink, and they card everyone here," I explain.

"I'll just tell them I'm old enough," he says with a wink and a giggle.

"Yea, I don't know how well it would go if you told them you're two thousand years old," I scoff laughing.

"I could just do this," he looks at my license for a moment and in his right hand phases an exact copy but with his information and picture on it.

I take it from him and look at it closely, "Wow that's really cool, yea, I guess that'll work," I hand it back to him and we head to the bar and sit down. I pull 2 menus from the counter.

"What'll it be guys?" Asks the bartender.

"I'll have a Bud Light and, you know what make it two," I reply.

"No problem, can I see some ID?" She asks. I pull mine back out of my clutch and Loki hands her his. She looks at both of them, "Ok here you go," she says as she hands them back.

"_Wow it really worked!_" I think over at Loki. He hides his hand with the ID on it under the counter and it disappears. He smiles that mischievous smile over at me. The bartender cracks open our beers and hands them to us.

"So what do you know what you guys want to eat," she asks with her hands on the counter top.

"I don't know, what do you like from here," he says as he shuffles with the menu.

I smile, "I'll have the grilled chicken with peppers and green beans and he'll have the 10 ounce New York Strip Steak medium with garlic mashed and green beans," I hand the menus back to her and smile at him.

"My goodness Raven, that sounds very delicious,"

45 minutes and 3 Buds and 2 shots of vodka each, later our food gets in. I am pretty buzzed at this point. Not too bad, just enough to feel very, very nice. I start to eat as does Loki.

**I look over at Raven. I cannot take my eyes off of her. She is so beautiful.**

"So Raven, there is something I would like to ask you," I say as I spin in my chair towards her.

"Yea, sure Loki whats up?"

"Well, I was thinking about how Tim still has a key to your apartment. I want try to get it back," I say as I cradle her hands.

"How do you plan on doing that?" She asks as she takes another sip of her beer.

"I wanted you to take me there when we leave here and I'll teleport inside and take it back,"

"I don't know Loki, he's more than likely home right now. If you really want to do that, we'll have to go tomorrow while he's at work," she replies.

"I suppose you're right Raven,"

"Come on let's not talk about him tonight. Let's have fun," she says as she finishes up the last of her food and has another shot of 'Vodka.' The music in the place has gotten very loud and there are colored lights flashing all over the room. The atmosphere is very alive. Electric. Raven takes my hand.

"Come on Loki, come dance with me," she damn near rips me off the chair. I follow after her. She takes me to the middle of the dance floor and starts to move. I look around at the other people dancing and just, do what they're doing. She smiles ear to ear at me. She puts her arm in the air and starts to move her head from side to side. Her black hair whipping through the air. The lights glisten off it like a rainbow. She looks so beautiful as she moves. So full of light, full of energy, full of life. She pulls me in and dances close to me. Her arms wrapped on my waist. Her smile is so big as she moves to the music. I must admit I am having a wonderful time!

3 hours and a few more drinks later and it's time to get going. We head out the door of the restaurant out to her car. She stops in the middle of the parking lot.

"What's wrong Raven?" I ask as I cradle her hands.

"How are we going to get home? I am so drunk I can barely walk. There's no way in hell I can drive," she says as she stumbles a bit and her heel kinks. She looks down at her shoes and growls at them as she peels them off. She picks them up and holds them in front of her face and hisses at them. Ok, so she's right about the no driving.

"Well I could drive," I say to her as I take her keys from her had.

"How are you going to do that, it would be complicated enough to try to teach you how to drive an automatic in my condition, but sweetheart, my baby's a manual transmission. No offense, but I'm waaaaay too drunk to even attempt that," she says as she pulls out her phone, "I'm going to call Alice,"

I grab her phone, and put my hand on the side of her face, "Hold still my dear," I say as I close my eyes and search her mind for how to drive this thing. Ah! I got it. That's not so bad. I unlock and open the passenger door for her and help her in. I climb in, push the clutch, wriggle the stick into neutral and start the car.

Holy shit, he started the car! That is freakin cool, like he downloaded the information from my mind. He backs out of the parking spot and drives away. He drives pretty good for a god. We get on the highway and he opens her up. Holy crap I turned Loki into Vin Diesel in Fast and the Furious. He's at 80 mph weaving through cars smiling. His hair blowing in the wind. He seems to be enjoying this a little too much.

"Wow when you said you were a fast learner you weren't kidding For now though try to keep it under 70 so we don't get pulled over ok?" I say to him even though I'm having fun too.

He pulls off the gas a bit, "Sorry my dear. I didn't know how much fun this was really going to be just based on what I saw in your mind. I can say that I love driving!" he says with an ear to ear giddy grin. I smile back.

15 minutes pass and we're home. Needless to say I haven't been able to take my eyes off of him since we were dancing at O'Mally's. I stumble out of the car when Loki teleports to my side and catches me before I hit the floor.

"Easy there Raven, you better let me carry you, I don't want you getting hurt,"

"Ok dokie Loki," I say as I wrap my arms around his neck and he swoops me up. Poof! We're in my room. "Woah I didn't know I could teleport, that's freaky," I say as he sets me at the end of my bed.

"As long as I remain in contact with you, you can come with me," he says as he cups the bottom of my chin. I can't take it anymore. I stand back up and kiss him. He kisses back and wraps his arms around me. I lose my balance and fall back on to the bed and he falls on top of me catching himself with his hands. I run my hands all over his back and pull him closer to me as I continue to kiss him. He cups my face as he kisses me back. I take my shirt off and throw it on the floor, when Loki abruptly stops.

"What's wrong, why'd you stop?" I say as I pant, heart racing.

"Raven, as much as I would love for this to continue, I cannot take advantage of you while your intoxicated. It wouldn't be right. I value you more than that," he says as leans up and off me and lies down next to me.

I pout a bit, but then crack a half-smile, "I guess so. That's very noble of you, most men are the opposite. They never would have stopped," I frown a bit.

"Well my dear, I can assure you, there are no men like me," he says with a smile as he rolls towards me and kisses my cheek. I nestle myself next to him as he puts his arm around me and I drift off. Smiling.


	7. Keys and Guns

Raven: Plain text  
**Loki: Bold**  
_ESP: Italic_

I once again awake in Loki's arms. This time it's different though. He is cradling me, in my bed, under my covers, his beautiful face on my pillow. I notice he is shirtless. My God that body is glorious. I nestle closer to him, putting my left leg over his body and running my hands over his back. He shifts a bit and smiles as he turns to me and opens his eyelids to reveal those luscious eyes. He doesn't say anything, he just rolls his head towards me and and pulls me in tight and kisses me. I can't think of anything in my life that I've done to deserve the man laying here next to me. He is perfection. I feel like the luckiest woman on Earth right now. He pulls back and gazes into my eyes.

"Good morning darling, how are you feeling?" he asks as he runs his finger tips across the side of my face.

"Urgh, I have a bit of a headache from drinking so much, but other than that, I couldn't have asked for a better place to wake up," I smile and scratch my back, which is when I realize I'm wearing only my bra. I reach down and find that my pants are still on, "so what happened between us last night?" I ask coyly.

"Well needless to say things got a bit intense, I must admit for a moment or two you were very hard to resist, but I couldn't in good conscious go any further with you while you were intoxicated, it wouldn't have been right,"

"Ah, I see, well thank you Loki for being such a gentleman," I lean towards the floor and pick up his shirt off the floor. It smells like him. Mmm. I put it on.

"If I may say so Raven, you have a very beautiful body," he says with a confident smile.

I feel my face blush a bit, "Really? You think so?" I don't think so, but then again, no woman ever does.

He pulls the covers off my side and kisses me on the front of my left shoulder, right shoulder, left side and right, all while saying, "Ab-so-lute-ly" A chill runs over my body as he looks up at me with those eyes. He crawls up to me and leans in and starts to kiss me passionately. I hear him start to pant and moan a bit as he has gotten completely engulfed; as do I. A few moments pass and I've completely lost myself when there's a knock at my door.

"Breakfast you guys," says Alice from outside the door. We both stop abruptly and turn and look at the door. Completely out of breath. We look back at each other both with 'well, shit' looks on our faces and he throws his leg over me and sits back on his side of the bed. I sit up and sit behind him running my hand across his chest as I kiss his back.

"We better get up, next, she'll just walk in, she's done that to Tim and I a few times, pretty awkward," he turns his head to the side, peering at me from over his shoulder. He sighs.

"Very well Raven," he says as he leans forward to pick up his pants. In a split second before he pulls them all the way up, I catch a glimpse at his, 'arousal' and needless to say, I like what I see. I smile devilishly to myself as I stand up and stretch and notice him adjust himself. He phases over to my side of the bed and locks lips with me. The wind from his phase blowing my hair around as well as his. I pull back and grab his hand as much as I want to continue what we started.

"Come on you, I think we've both been teased enough this morning," I smile as I take the tags off a black beater from the Old Navy bag and hand it to him. He slips it over his head. Wow he looks amazing in it. We walk out to the kitchen where Alice has cooked up blueberry pancakes. Mmm they smell delicious. I sit at the island and dig in. "Thanks Alice, they are so delicious, I am so hungry."

She spins round and plops a few more pancakes down onto the pile, and looks at me, "I'm sure you are," she says with a devilish wink and a quick back and forth glance to Loki. I shoot her a bit of a stink eye. "So you guys have fun last night, I see Loki finally has some new clothes, a shirt in which you're wearing," she says with that stupid 'I know what's up' grin that she knows I hate.

"Hey Alice, my room, NOW," I say emphatically as I grab her hand and drag her to my room. She damn near trips over my bar stool.

I close the door. "What's your deal, why are you acting like that?" I ask with my arms crossed across my chest.

She shrugs her shoulders and puts her hands in the air, "Whaaat? I have no idea what you're talking about," she says again with that stupid grin. I decide to give her a taste of her own medicine. *Whack* I 'Gibbs-slap' the back of her head.

"Ow! Dammit Raven! I was only kidding!" She says as she rubs the back of her head.

"Well you made things awkward when you did that," I say gesturing towards the kitchen.

"Sorry," she says as she sinks her head a bit. "So what really happened last night, huh?" she nudges me on the shoulder a bit.

"Not as much as you think. We went shopping, went for dinner, drinks and dancing at O'Mallys and when we got home I really wanted him, badly, but just as it started to get hot and heavy he stopped. He said he didn't want to do anything with me as long as I was drunk,"

"Aww what a gentleman," she says with a doofy smile.

"Might I add that this morning, we were going for round 2 when your knock interrupted us," I say with a stern look and my hands on my hips.

She turns to walk out the door, "Oops, my bad," she says with that kiddish grin as she walks into the kitchen. Bitch. I follow her out the door back into the kitchen.

_"I really wish Alice hadn't interrupted us,"_ thinks Loki from across the island with an eyebrow raised.

_"Oh really?"_ I ask with my eyebrow raised. _"And what would you have done had we not been interrupted?"_ I tilt my head a bit towards him.

_"I would rather show you my dear,"_ he says as he leans on the counter with one hand under his chin.

_"I'm sure we'll get another opportunity, as long as little miss bad timing isn't home,"_ I wink to him and gesture to Alice. I grab 2 pancakes off the plate and smother them in syrup. Loki has already eaten 5 pancakes. Damn that guy can eat. I think back to last night when he devoured the steak before I was halfway through my chicken. I smile.

"So did you still want to try to get your key back from Tim today?" he asks.

"What?" says Alice.

"Yea, Loki wants to go into his apartment in an attempt to get my apartment key back. He makes a great point. Could you imagine what he could do to this place or to us caught off guard or God forbid, Arthur and Gloria?!" I cringe at the thought.

"Yea, you're right. I never thought of it that way," she cocks her mouth off to the side.

"Yes Loki, I do, but it's going to be thought out and planned. I don't want to just show up and wing it. His roommate works random hours so there's no telling if he'll be home," he nods to me.

"I agree. So what shall we do?" he says.

"Well best bet is to go there and, shit who's car are we going to take? He knows mine obviously and Alice's as well," I scratch my chin, "I could ask to borrow Arthur's car, I guess, it's worth a shot," I look at Alice who nods at me. "Ok I'm going to go ask Arthur first before we go any further," I turn round and head up the stairs. I get to the top and see that the car is here. Good. I knock on their door. Arthur comes to it.

"Hey there Raven, what can I do for ya," he says leaning in the door frame.

"Hey Arthur, I need to ask to you favor,"

"Sure Raven, what is it?" he asks kind of concerned.

"Well you see, I need to go to Tim's apartment and get my apartment key back, as well as a few other things, and I would rather not be in my car so he doesn't know it's me," I explain.

He pauses for a moment, "Well, um, I suppose Raven. I hope you don't run into any trouble," he says concerned.

"Well I'm taking Loki with me so I won't be alone,"

"Ahh the tall handsome fellow you're seeing. Gloria told me all about him. Seems he's quite the charmer," he winks.

I giggle, "Yea he's really something special," I close my eyes for a moment and picture his beautiful eyes of his.

He leans back inside the door and pulls the keys off the wall and holds them for a moment in front of me, "You be careful Raven," he says before handing them to me.  
"I will Arthur, don't worry," I say with a smile as I turn round and open my door and head back down stairs.

"Ok so I got Arthur's car for today. Now I guess we just go over there and hope neither of them are home," I say over to Loki, he nods.

"You want me to come too girl?" Asks Alice.

"Nah, you better stay here, I think Loki and I can handle it, well I'm sure Loki can all by himself if need be," we all laugh.

"Ok you two, pleeease be careful and be safe," she blows a kiss to us.

We head on up the stairs and get into Arthur's car. I start the car and look over at Loki, "You ready?"

He places his hand on mine, "As ready as I'll ever be," he leans over and kisses me. I'm starting to get the feeling that he really likes kissing me. I smile ear to ear.

"Ok let's do this," I say as I back out of the garage. I unplug his Ipod from his radio and plug mine in. No way in hell I'm going to listen to oldie's right now. My Ipod turns on with Sky Ferreira's "Obsession" playing. How fitting seeing as though I want to be Loki's obsession. Also a perfect song because it has a "getting pumped" beat in the beginning of the song. It's working. I turn it up and put on my Ray Ban Wayfarers and get in the zone. I look over at Loki and pucker my lips at him. He does the same back.

20 minutes go by and we are pulling in the complex. I park in the closest spot, in case we need to bolt in a hurry. I do a quick recon around the parking lot and notice both Tim's truck and James' car are missing. Good start. We get out of the car and take deep breaths.

"So can we teleport into the apartment from here?" I ask.

"No, we cannot. I must know where I am going in order to teleport there. Meaning I would have had to been there before or at least be able to see it," he explains.

"Ah, well I guess that makes sense," I reply.

We start to walk over to the entrance and a mother and her 2 kids hold the door for us letting us in. Thank God, since I don't have a key to the main door. I lost it a few weeks ago and since things had gotten so bad between us, I never bothered getting another one. We head up the stairs to the second floor. A chill goes down my spine as we approach his door. The last time I was here, I had just been knocked unconscious. I stop in the hallway.

"What's wrong Raven?" Asks Loki as he puts his hands on my face.

"I'm sorry, I was just having bad flash backs," I say as I sink my head a bit.

"Don't worry, I won't let ANYTHING happen to you, I swear on my life," he picks my hand up to his face and kisses it. "Are you ready?"

I pause and take a deep breath, "As ready as I'll ever be," I say as he hugs me and we phase into Tim's apartment. Loki holds his hand out to keep me against the door as he does a quick recon in the apartment to make sure we're alone.

"It's ok, nobody's here," I turn and unlock his door, just in case and head in on my mission. Urgh this place looks like a tornado hit it. There's empty beer bottles, literally, everywhere as well as empty liquor bottles. The place also reeks of cigarettes. I don't know what I ever saw in him, but I'm glad it's over. I head over to his room to the key rack and grab my key. It's a pink key that says princess on it. I still remember when we got that made. He was so sweet and kind back then and never drank. It's funny how people can change. He used to have it attached to his main batch of keys but, lucky for me, when things started to go bad, he thought it looked stupid and un-manly so he took it off and kept it separate. Thank God it's here and not in his truck. I stop for a moment and stare down at the key in my hand. My eyes begin to water. I close my eyes tight. I feel my hair blow into my face as Loki phases behind me with his arms wrapped around my waist. He holds me for a moment before turning me around to face him. He picks up my chin.

"Why do you weep my darling?" he asks with the most sincere look in his eyes.

"It's just, *sigh* it's not fair what he did to our relationship. He used to be such a great guy, I just don't know what happened," I wrap my arms around him and he holds me so tight.

"Raven, sometimes things happen in our lives that we are not meant to understand. We are only meant to accept them and continue on. Your relationship with Tim was not meant to be. There's nothing you can do or say that will bring back what once was. Look at it this way," he pulls back a bit and holds both my hands in his, tight, "I will never treat you that way. I care about your safety more than my own at this point. I say again, my coming here was no mistake. We were destined to meet. I've thanked the gods these past few days, that you are part of my life, I mean that Raven, from the bottom of my heart," I melt inside as he leans down and kisses me again.

"Thank you Loki, that means the world to me in ways you can't understand," I hug him again, "Now let's get the last of my things and get out of here, I don't like being here," he nods. I head over to Tim's closet and pull out a black garbage bag that's filled with my clothes, "Ok now we can leave," he smiles as he phases over to me grabbing me and we phase into my car. I let out a sigh of relief. "Let's go home shall we," I say to Loki as I put my sunglasses back on.

**We arrive back at Raven's apartment, about an hour or so later after stopping for food, with out incident. It was very nerve-wracking being there. I am glad we are home now. I notice that Alice's car is absent. I look over at Raven as she gets out of the car, phase over to her, grab her, and phase into her bedroom. She seems a bit taken back as she looks around trying to figure out where we are. She then looks up at me and kisses me intensely. She actually hurts my mouth a little bit she shoves hers so hard into mine. She tastes amazing. I run my hands down her shoulders to her sides and wrap my arms around the back of her waist and pull her in tight. Just then she spins around and shoves me onto the bed. She pounces on top of me. Her wavy black hair creating a canopy around my face as she continues to kiss me. I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be, or anything else I'd rather be doing, than being right here with her. My Raven. I am knocked out of my ecstasy by the sound of a very loud thud coming from outside.**

"RAVEN COSENTINO!" I hear screaming coming from out her window. I get up fast and peer up through the window; it's Tim! Oh no!

"Raven, it's Tim!" I say over to her.

"Oh shit!" She replies

"You better get you skanky ass out here or I'm gunna bust down this door! You think taking my key is going to stop me!?" He continues to yell.

"We better oblige him, we don't want him coming down here," I say to her.

She looks up at me terrified. "Ok, let's go. Wait, let me call the police. I have a feeling this is going to go bad," I nod to her. She pulls out her cellphone.

"Yes hi, my name is Raven Cosentino, I live at 142 Birch street. My ex-boyfriend is outside my house drunk and belligerent and he's threatening me I need you to send an officer. No, I'm inside the house, I can hear him outside," she gets up and walks to the window and looks out it on her tip toes, "He's with his roommate James so no, he's not alone. I'm not sure what he's capable of but the last time I saw him he knocked me out giving me a black eye. Thank you so much. Goodbye." She hangs up the phone.

"We better go out there, Loki" I say to him. He nods to me. I walk out into the kitchen and grab the largest knife I could find and put it behind my back through my belt. We head up the stairs to the garage, Loki goes up first. We open the door and Loki walks out unphased by Tim's presence.

"Who the fuck is this, your new fuck buddy?!" Tim says motioning to Loki. Drunk. As always. Loki squints his eyes at him. Boy if looks could kill.

"That's none of your goddamned business Tim, not anymore," I reply.

"Oh yea, since when?" he answers.

"Since Alice told you I wanted nothing to do with you,"

"Oh, yea, your little Irish bodyguard? Did you see what she did to me?" he signals to his neck to reveal a black and blue arm-shaped bruise. I look over at Loki. "You couldn't take care of your own business, you had to get her to do your dirty work?" He say arms flailing in the air.

"You did THAT to yourself," I say pointing to my neck. "You threatened her and you got your ass handed to you. That had nothing to do with me," I say with a bit of confidence as I notice out of the corner of my eye Loki move up from my right and stand a bit in front of me.

"So what in God's green Earth, do you think, gives you the right to break into my apartment and take shit, huh?!" he yells.

Shit, he realized that quickly. Damn, for an alcoholic, he's pretty quick sometimes.

"What the hell are you talking about Tim?! I don't even have a key to your apartment and I'm no spy so I don't have a super secret lock pick kit in my car. So explain to me how I got in, huh?!" I say as I notice James get out of the drivers seat of the Silverado and walk over next to Tim.

"I know it was you, you dumb bitch, what do you take me for, an idiot?!"

"Yes, we do. I think it's time you leave. What ever you came here to accomplish, is not going to happen. So I suggest you leave, NOW!" Chimes Loki.

"Oh he speaks! Who are you motherfucker?!" yells Tim.

"I am Loki. Now I will say this again. You better leave," he says as he positions his stance in an attack position.

"Oh yea and what are you going to do if I don't, huh?" he replies.

"I can assure you, you won't like the outcome," says Loki.

Just then, James runs over towards Loki with a knife. I side-step out of the way as Loki grabs James' arm, twisting it behind his back. He yells out in pain as Loki kicks the back of his left knee. I hear a loud snap and James lets out a wicked scream of agony. Loki takes the knife from him and throws it at Tim, who ducks and the knife sticks to the tree behind him. Tim turns to look at the knife and goes to try to pull it out. He cannot. He looks back at Loki shocked before running towards him.

"You fucking asshole, now you're gunna get it," he shouts as he bolts full speed towards Loki as if to tackle him. Loki sideswipes as Tim comes at him and grabs his legs out from under him. In one swift move, he swings Tim around by his ankles and throws him into the tree. Tim bounces off of it. Hard. Loki stands there hands out to his sides as he flexes his knuckles and pants. Tim lies motionless on the ground for a moment before coming to. He shoots a devilish look at Loki as he stands up.

"Now you're gunna get it motherfucker," he says as he turns to his car and reaches under the drivers seat and pulls out a handgun. I gasp and bolt for the garage to hide behind Arthur's car. He fires a shot at me but misses. It hits a flower pot behind me. I reach Arthur's car and he fires another shot. It hits Arthur's back left tire, flattening it.

"NOO!" Shouts Loki as he runs towards Tim. Tim sees him and swings his arms round and fires a shot at Loki's face.

"LOKI!" I yell. Then I notice the bullet just ricochet off him.

Tim looks down at the gun shocked as all hell and in that split second, Loki grabs his hand with the gun and knocks it up under his nose cracking it wide open. Blood is pouring out everywhere as he drops to the ground. Just then I hear sirens. Cops. Good. They pull up fast mounting the curb. They get out guns drawn.

"Everyone hands up!" Says the taller of the two officers. I come out from behind Arthur's car. Loki and I oblige.

"It's ok, my boyfriend took him out. He's lying there on the ground and so is his friend," I say as I point to them with my right hand as my left is still in the air. The taller one walks over to Tim and kicks the gun away from him as he cuffs him. He grabs the radio off his shoulder.

"Yea base, I'm gunna need EMS over here at 142 Birch, I've got 2 suspects in custody. 2 white males, mid twenties, one has severe bleeding from the nose and is unconscious and the other seems to have a broken left knee and is barely conscious," The shorter officer heads over to James who is lying in a fetal position holding his knee and cuffs him too. The taller officer walks over to me, he points to Loki, "You over here next to her," He walks over to me.

"Are you alright Raven?" he asks.

"Yea, thanks," I say a bit shaken.

"Are you Raven Cosentino?" Asks the Officer.

"Yes, I am," I answer.

"Ok so why don't you tell me what happened here," he says as he takes out his notepad.

"Well I was inside when I heard them outside. They kept threatening to break down the door and come in and I didn't want any problems so my boyfriend, Loki, and I went on outside. Things got a bit heated and then James," I point to him, "Attacked Loki and he incapacitated him. Then Tim attacked him and he picked him up and threw him into the tree. That's when Tim pulled out the gun and he shot at me 2 times, hitting my landlord's tire and then he fired at Loki but missed. Then Loki grabbed the gun in his hand and smashed it into his face, knocking him out," I explain.

"Damn, son, you don't look to be that built, how'd you manage to toss that guy, he looks a lot heavier than you?" says the officer.

"I live a healthy lifestyle and I eat right," he says as he winks at me. I smile a bit. Just then, Aurthur and Gloria come out the front door.

"What the hell happened out here?!" Says Arthur.

I turn back to Arthur, "Tim showed up with his roommate and he had a gun. He shot at us!" I yell back.

He walks over to his car and points to his tire, "Yes I can see that. That prick! He's gunna pay for that. That's for sure. Are you guys ok?"

"Yea we're ok, thankfully he has bad aim," I reply.

Gloria walks over to me and gives me a hug, "Oh lord, you poor thing, you must have been terrified!" she says with her hands on my arms.

I lift up a hand as it shakes to show her. She looks over at Tim and James' aftermath, "Jesus Loki, did you do that?" she gestures to them both.

"Yes I did. I couldn't very well let them carry out whatever it was they came here to do. I have a feeling this will be the last we ever see of either of them," he replies.

"Yes, well I hope so. I'm just glad that everyone's ok. Tires and flowerpots can be replaced, your lives cannot," says Arthur.

"I take it you are the owners of the house?" asks the taller officer.

"Yes. My name is Arthur Hill, this is my wife Gloria. Raven and her roommate rent from us and live downstairs," he replies

"Ok I'm going to need everyone's ID so I can file my report," he says.

"I need to go inside to get mine," I say as I notice Loki's hand behind his back and his ID phases in it. He hands it to the officer. I walk inside and get my ID and come back out and hand it to him. Arthur and Gloria pull out theirs.

"Ok guys stay put for a minute," as he heads back over to the cruiser, the ambulance pulls up. Two EMTs get out with stretchers. One heads over to Tim and the other to James. They bandage up Tim's face and put him on the stretcher and put James' leg in a splint. They load them into the ambulance. One of the EMTs walks back over to the cop handing him their wallets.

I look over at Arthur who is talking to Gloria, then look back at Loki and whisper, "Jesus! That was intense! I had no idea Tim would pull out a gun! Are you ok, I mean he freakin shot you and it just bounced off. That was freakin insane. You truly are a god," I say as I reach for his hand and squeeze it tight.

"I am only glad that you are safe. I don't know what I would have done if he hurt you again," he turns me into him and kisses my forehead.

"Camron, go over there and grab Tim's gun for evidence will ya," says the taller cop as he gets back out of the car with some papers in his hands walking towards us. He hands back our IDs, "Ok folks, we're gunna take them to the hospital first and get em cleaned up and then we're gunna process them down at the station. Here's my card with my personal extension on it. My name is officer John O'Connell. You can call it anytime and if I'm not in they'll forward me the message. The case number is also on it and if you want a copy you can come down to the station and pick it up in 48 hours. You sure you folks are ok?" he says pointing back and forth to us. We look at each other and nod. Arthur and Gloria nod as well.

"What would I have to do to get a restraining order?" I ask.

"That's easy enough, just come down to the station and fill the form out and it then gets handed to a judge for approval or denial. But given what happened here, I know it will go through," he says.

"A few days ago, he came by and threatened her roommate, can she file as well?" Chimes Loki.

"Yes, but she has to file her own," he responds. Loki nods.

"Perfect," I reply.

"You folks have better evening," he says as he tips his hat and heads back to the cruiser. They leave along with the ambulance. Aurthur and Gloria head back in through the front door when Gloria stops and looks back.

"If you guys need anything we're here for you," she says with a warm smile.

"Thank you so much Gloria," I reply to her as we head back into the house. We head down the stairs and I sit down at the edge of my bed.

"I still can't get over the fact that that just happened," I say to Loki.

He sits next to me and wraps me in his arms, "It's all over now. You're safe. That's all that matters,"

"I know, but still, he SHOT at us. That's a big deal here on Earth. I felt like my life flashed before my eyes. It was the most terrifying experience of my life," I say as I begin to weep. All my emotions catching up with me. Loki slides off the bed and kneels in front of me.

"Please Raven, do not weep. I am here. I am here with you. I will never leave," he pleads.

I slide off as well and kneel down as well, "I know, I know Loki, I'm sorry. I can't help it. I just went through a near-death experience at the hands of my psycho ex-boyfriend. It's taking a bit of a toll on my consciousness," I lean into his shoulder as he cradles me.

"I have a question for you Raven," he says still holding me.

"Ok," I reply.

"You mentioned to the officer that I was your boyfriend, are you saying you want me to be your boyfriend?" he asks sincerely.

I smile as I pull my head up and look into his eyes, "Absolutely Loki, I would love for you to be my boyfriend,"

He leans in and kisses me, _"Consider it done darling"_  
I close my eyes and lose myself in his kiss.


	8. Family Values

Bold: Loki  
Regular: Raven  
Italic: ESP

I am dating a god. Wow that sounds pretty epic in my head. I feel at this point I can't hold Loki any tighter. I am so shaken by what has just transpired I can't bring myself to get up or even move for that matter. I don't want to. His hold is like a cradle. I feel like nothing can ever go wrong as long as his arms are around me. Just then I hear the door open upstairs.

"Raven, Loki, you guys home?" it's Alice.

"Yea we're here," I reply as Loki stands up and helps me up, his arm still around my side.

"Hey did you guys see where that cop car and ambulance came from, I saw them turn out of our road," she asks as she puts her stuff down on the kitchen counter. I look up at Loki as he looks back at me, then we both just look at Alice; blank-faced, "Um what happened?" she asks concerned.

"Tim showed up. He knew we went to the apartment, but after the fact. He had a gun and shot up the place," I say a bit shaken.

"What the fuck, Raven, are you serious?!" she says shocked.

Loki holds out his hand to put it on Alice's wrist, "Let me show you Alice," she holds out her wrist and he holds it. Alice's expressions say it all.

"Jesus, Loki, you're like a superhero or sumtin. I mean, he shot you in the face and nothing happened! And you beat the crap out of them. Shit! Raven, I can't believe he pulled out a freakin gun! Wow! I just can't wrap my brain around that," Alice's hands are on her forehead pulling her skin back as she runs them back through her hair and shakes her head in disbelief.

"I STILL can't believe it happened! I mean a freakin gun?! Was he really that pissed that he had to pull out a gun, I mean, James pulling out a knife was one thing, oh my God I just can't even think right now," I am still so shaken that it is becoming increasingly difficult to even form a sentence.

Loki spins me into his chest and holds me, "You're safe now, that's all that matters. It's over," his voice could convince me of anything at this point.

"So Alice, I think it's time we go to the police station and get restraining orders against Tim, I am fed up with him and his shit. One of these days he is going to show up and Loki won't be here to protect us," I say as she nods to me.

"Ok, let's go now, get it over with, sooner we file, sooner it goes into effect," she says as she picks her purse back up off the counter.

I look up at Loki, "You're coming too right?"

"Of course darling," he replies as he kisses my forehead.

I walk into my room and grab my clutch and my keys and we all head upstairs and out to my car. Alice climbs into the back seat and lets out a grunt.

"I hate sitting in the back seat," she says not entirely annoyed.

"Well I can't very well have Loki sit in the back, he is 6'2" after all," I giggle.

Loki turns around and inspects the head room in the back, "Yes that looks like it wouldn't be too accommodating for me," he says as he smiles back to me.

"Yea, yea, yea your Royal Tallness," she replies as she bows her head mockingly, but jokingly. We all start laughing. I start the car and Katy Perry's "ET" starts playing off my Ipod. I feel Alice tap my shoulder, "Fitting song huh?" she says as she motions to Loki. I laugh.

"Yea I guess, too funny!"

We head into the city, downtown, to the police station. I pull into a spot and park. We all get out and head on in.

"Wow the new police station is really nice compared to the old one, wouldn't you say, Raven?" says Alice.

"Oh definitely, the old one barely had a parking lot much less anything else," I reply. The new police station has an old colonial feel mixed in with the modern. A huge rust colored brick building with huge white muti-barred windows speckled with white security cameras. The entrance is impeccably manicured around the staircase leading in. 4 huge white molded pillars tower over us as we head on inside. A single female officer is sitting behind the thick glass window to our left. She is actually very pretty, for a cop anyways. Tightly pulled back blonde hair, flawless cream colored skin, and striking facial features despite having absolutely no make up on. Her name tag reads Mills.

She greets us as we walk over to the window, "How can I help you folks?"

"Yes, my friend and I are here to file restraining orders against my ex-boyfriend. He was arrested today and an officer, um," crap what was the cop's name? I pat my pants and look for the card he gave me. I find it in my back pocket and look down at it, "John O'Connell told us to come down anytime to file," before she can respond, I hear a familiar voice come from behind us. It's officer O'Connell.

"It's ok Debbie, I'll take care of these guys," he says over to her as he waves. She nods and smiles.

I turn to him. He's tall, like Loki. Brown close cut cop hair and broad shoulders. Looks like a typical cop, "Hello, officer. This is my roommate Alice, we're here to file those restraining orders," I say as I shake his hand and Alice and Loki all follow suit.

"Hi, nice to meet you. Yea so um needless to say, your ex was quite the handful when the EMT's bandaged him up and he came to at the hospital," he says as he scratches the back of his head as if to convey 'yea about that'.

"That doesn't come as a shock to me at all officer," I reply with a scoff.

"Call me John. Come. Let's all go to my desk. There's a lot we need to discuss," he says as he motions for us to follow him. I look at Alice and Loki, press my lips, and shrug. We get to a thick glass door with wire on the inside of the glass. John swipes his ID badge through the slot and the door buzzes open. Damn, the buzzer was so loud it actually startled me. Alice catches it and giggles. We head down a long hallway with cubicles and desks all along the way. It even smells new in here, like a new car. New and old photos of the city pepper the walls on either side. We reach near the end of the hallway and sit down in front of a large grey desk.

"So needless to say, Tim was quite the showstopper today at the hospital. For starters, he had a BAC of 0.19, which, makes me wonder how the hell he managed to carry out all that he did without falling over," he says, hands interlocked on his desk.

"Yes, well, from what I can see, he is quite fond of the drink, I've only met him a handful of times and he was intoxicated every time," chimes Loki. I nod in agreeing.

"Well, when he came to at the hospital, he assaulted a nurse, 3 doctors and 2 security officers, before we were able to sedate him. That wasn't even the weird part, stuff like that happens a lot, unfortunately. What was truly strange was was when we got him back here in the holding cell, he kept saying 'why didn't he die? Why didn't he die?' When we finally got fed up and asked him what he meant, he said he shot you," he points to Loki, "point blank in the face and he watched the bullet ricochet off," he rolls his eyes as he finishes the sentence, propping his interlocked fingers in front of his chin.

"Um, ok, that sounds crazy, to say the least," I reply as I look at Loki in my peripheral vision.

"Obviously, I mean, it's not like any of us took him seriously or anything, it was just so strange that he was INSISTING he knew what he saw," he shakes his head slightly in disbelief at what he was saying.

"With all due respect officer, I am merely a man, I am not, how you say, a superhero," Loki says with a grin and a giggle. I smile.

"No but I must say you did quite a number on those two. Tim also sustained a broken rib along with his broken nose and James' knee was completely shattered. He's in surgery right now. They have to completely reconstruct it," he says sternly however there is a hint in his voice that he is impressed.

"You're not going to file charges against Loki, are you?" I ask concerned.

"Oh, no, not at all. This was a clear cut case of him protecting you as well as himself from two armed assailants; nothing more," he says as he leans forward across the desk bit, "I gotta say I'm truly impressed by the strategic nature of your attacks on them. It's not everyday that people can stop and plan their attacks instead of fighting with blind rage. That's when things can get very messy," he says with a half smile.

Loki cocks his mouth and grins, "Yes, well, I grew up with a lot of combat training," he pauses, "Mmy father insisted on teaching my brother and I how to fight and defend ourselves should we ever need to,"

"Well son, it certainly payed off. Not only did you disable them indefinitely, but you saved your girlfriend's life for sure," he says as he points to me.

"I would do anything to keep her safe," he says as he looks deep into my eyes.

John smiles and points to Loki, "You best hang on to him missy, he seems like a real keeper,"

I reach for Loki's hand, "I plan to," I reply still looking in his eyes.

"So now that we're all up to speed, let's get this restraining order filed and you folks can be on your way," says John.

I snap back to reality, "Yes let's get this over with,"

He opens a drawer to his left and pulls out some papers and puts them in front of us. "I took the liberty of filling yours out, Raven, since I already had all your information from the police report and I stapled a copy of the report to it, all you have to do is sign here, and here and initial here, here, and here," he points to various blank spaces on the form. He hands Alice the other blank form and a pen, "In the mean time you can start filling yours out," Alice nods and begins to fill out hers.

"So what happens now?" I ask as I hand the forms back.

"Well, the forms will be handed over to a judge and he'll sign off on them and they'll be served, more than likely they'll still be here when that happens, unless they make bail," he responds with a slight smile.

"Yea, well they aren't exactly popular with their families or other friends for that matter, so chances are they won't have anyone to bail them out," I say as I giggle.

A few moments go by and Alice has finished filling hers out and hands it back to John. "Perfect. Well, that's all for now. I'll be in touch with you guys as soon as the orders go through," John says as he stands up and shakes our hands, "I gotta walk you guys out," we all follow behind him back down the corridor. We reach the front door and John waves good bye to us, "Be safe you guys, if you need anything, don't hesitate to call,"

"Thanks for everything John," I say as I wave.

"No problem," he says with a warm smile.

We pile back into my car and head home. As I pull into the driveway, I get a chill at the sight of the shattered flower pot on the front porch. I pause for a moment, still gripping the steering wheel, still trying to make sense of what happened. Jesus, I need to get a grip, I'm going to lose my mind.

Alice puts her hand on my shoulder, "You ok hun?" she says softly.

I snap out of my daze, "Huh? Yea, maybe, I don't know, no. I guess getting shot at is taking it's toll on me harder than I thought," I reply as I sulk.

Loki reaches over and places his hand on my leg, "It's ok dear, however you feel you want to deal with this is fine. Everybody handles things differently. None of us think any differently of you for it," he says sweetly.

I look over and melt a smile, "_You're so wonderful Loki, you truly are,_" I think to him.  
We start to get out of the car when my phone rings. I look down at it.

"Who is it Raven?" Asks Alice.

"It's my mother," I say blankly.

"Well, are you going to answer it?" she replies.

I pause for a moment more before answering, "Hey mom. I'm good how are you? What have I been up to?" I look at Alice and Loki and giggle, "A lot actually. Tim and I broke up. Yea its over for good this time. Actually it's kind of a long story, you want to meet up and I'll tell you? Ok I'll meet you at the Oak Hill Diner in like an hour. Ok see you then - Love you too. Bye," I hang up and sigh

"Oh boy. You gunna tell her everything or EVERYTHING?" asks Alice.

"Everything except the whole 'I'm dating a mythological Norse God'" I reply as we all laugh.

"Well good luck with that," she laughs as she shakes her head. I shoot her a glare as we walk inside.

I go into my room and fall flat on my face on my bed. I groan into the pillow. Loki follows behind me, closes the door and sits down next to me.

"I can sense some tension between you and your mother, care to talk about it?" he asks as he runs his hand under my shirt across my lower back.

I roll onto my side and prop my hand under my head, "Needless to say, the relationship between my mother and me is, well, complicated. It started when I was very young. My father was an alcoholic. Thankfully he wasn't a violent drunk like Tim. He was more of an emotionally damaging drunk. He never took an interest in anything I did, sports, school, anything. My mother insisted on staying with him and allowing him to continue to emotionally scar me. That's where most of my resentment comes from. Her basically choosing him over me. I've been on my own, with Alice, pretty much since I was 18. 2 years later, she divorced him. Like, why wait until I leave to leave him. I don't know why, but one things for sure, I took it personally. Took me 4 years after they split for me and her to start speaking again. It's still rocky as hell though. That was 3 years ago and we don't speak that often. I mean, I want to have a relationship with her, she is my mother after all. I just find it difficult to let go of this deep seeded grudge,"

Loki nods, "I understand Raven. It's hard sometimes when our parents do things that we don't understand. Take me for example. It took me a very long time before I found out I wasn't Asgardian. I was completely heart-broken at the fact that my parents hid my true parentage from me. Not only that but the fact that my father thought he could 'use me' to bridge the gap between my race and the Asgardians. My mother told me they never wanted to tell me because they didn't want me to feel different. Which I can understand, but it still broke my heart. In that moment when I found out, I felt so alone and broken. The very thing my parents tried to prevent, had happened. I mean, they had to assume that I would eventually find out, right? I guess after a thousand years, they thought it was best left unsaid," he says as his head sinks.

"That must have been so hard for you," I reply as I reach for his hand.

"Not only did I have to deal with feeling as though I was living in my brother Thor's shadow, but now, knowing my true bloodline, made me think that that was the reason my parents always seemed to favor Thor. He was their blood, and I was nothing more than a member of a dying race of monsters. The very monsters parents told their children about when they misbehaved," Loki's eyes press closed tight as tears begin to fall. He buries his head in his hand. I sit up and wrap my arms around him.

"No Loki, don't cry," I squeeze him so tight and bury my head against his chest. He softly wraps his arms around me and kisses the top of my head.

"I am sorry to appear weak like this in front of you darling," he whispers.

I look up at him, "You may not be human, but you have every right to be upset about what you've gone through. Trust me, it doesn't make you look weak, it makes you look strong that you can talk about your issues and come to terms with them," I say as I run my hand down the side of his face.

He places his hand on my cheek, his finger tips just touching my hairline and plants a gentle kiss on my lips. "Thank you for being who you are and for being so sweet and understanding, you truly are a wonderful woman. I am so glad to have met you," his eyes burying deep in mine.

"Loki, trust me you don't have to thank me. If anything, thank YOU for coming into my life. I know it hasn't even been a week yet but so much has happened that it feels like so much longer," I say peering back. "Now let's get going, I want to get this little mommy-daughter meeting over with," I say as I peck him on the forehead.

"Of course," he replies.

I slide off the bed and swing open my closet. I pull out a teal green plaid short sleeve shirt and throw it on the bed. I peel off my black tank top I'd been wearing all day and toss it in the hamper. I catch Loki's up and down gaze.

**Raven is now standing before me wearing shorts and a black bra. Her skin is tan and flawless. Her body is thin and beautiful. Perfection. I feel my heart beat faster as I continue to look at her. She truly is breath-taking. "Why do you insist on teasing me like that Raven?" I say with a devious grin.**

**She looks back at me over her shoulder squinting, "Why Loki, what ever are you talking about?" she replies with a giggle.**

**I phase off the bed over to her, grab her and toss her back onto the bed and lean over her pinning her arms on the bed, "It's not wise to play games with the God of Mischief my dear,"**

**She looks left and right at my hands pinning her wrists and smiles up at me, "Don't start something you can't finish Loki,"**

**I lean down close to her face, as if to kiss her but I stop mere centimeters from her face. Her luscious emerald eyes roll back under her eyelids. I can tell it teases her so, "I will get my opportunity soon enough my dear," I say as I very quickly peck a kiss on her cheek and phase off of her and walk over to my clothes and put on a dark blue t-shirt, all while looking over my shoulder deviously at her. I can tell it bothers her. Her face gives it away.**

**"Uh huh, I see how it is," says Raven with a pout.**

**I walk over and pick her shirt up and hand it to her, "Let's not keep your mother waiting," I say as I wink. She relents and puts it on, glaring at me as she buttons it up.**

**We head on up to her car and hop in. Raven starts the car and a song comes on that sounds good. Raven gasps as she realizes what it is and makes it louder.**

**"I like this song, what is it?" I ask her through her sunglasses.**

**"Its 'Radioactive' by Imagine Dragons. I love this song!" She replies as she bobs her head to the beat.**

**We begin to head towards the diner. I look at her out of the corner of my eyes. I cannot help but to keep gazing at her. Her skin looks so beautiful in the evening light. It almost seems to come alive as the trees and buildings cast shadows on her as we pass them. By the gods, she is THE most stunning creature I have ever had the pleasure of laying these eyes on. I close my eyes and tilt my head back and think of her lips. A few more moments pass and we pull into the diner parking lot. Raven seems anxious as she parks the car.**

**"Are you ok my dear?" I ask as I run my hand over the back of her head. Her ink-black hair feels like silk against my palm.**

**"Yea, I just don't know what to expect. She can be unpredictable sometimes," she says as she places her sunglasses atop her head.**

**"I'll be right here with you, if anything goes wrong, we can always just leave,"**

**She looks up at me with sad but reassured eyes, "Ok,"**

**We walk into the entrance. She looks around quickly and just then a woman with hair as black as Raven gets up a bit from her table and waves to her.**

**"_Here we go,_" she thinks to me.**

**"Hi mom," she says apprehensively**

**"Hello Raven," she replies as she takes a sip of her coffee.**

**We sit down. The tension in the air is palpable.**

**"Mom, this is my boyfriend, Loki,"**

**"My, aren't you a handsome thing. Quite a step up from the last loser you dated Raven," she says in a snoody way sipping her coffee again and rolling her eyes slightly at Raven.**

**Just then, a woman dressed as Raven does when she goes to work, walks over to our table. She must be a 'waitress.'**

**"Hi guys, I'm Dana. What can I get for you?"**

**"I'll have a cup of tea and some chicken fingers with honey mustard," replies Raven.**

**"And you hun," she points to me after writing down Raven's order.**

**"I'll just have tea, thank you," I reply softly.**

**"Ok I'll be right back with those," she says as she walks away.**

**I turn my attention back to introducing myself to Raven's mother. I refrain from my typical hand-kissing greeting, as I'm sure it will do no good here. I opt for a simpler greeting, "Pleasure to meet you Mrs. Cosentino," I say as I hold out my hand to shake.**

**"It's Milano, Gina Milano, I took my name back from her father when I left him," she replies as she shakes back. "So, Raven, what's been going on, seems like I've missed a lot."**

**"_Yea, that's an understatement,_" She thinks to me as I twitch a tiny smile. "A lot's been going on. Well, *sigh* why don't I just start from the beginning. Things between Tim and I had started to go south, fast. His drinking had gotten completely out of control. Saturday, we went camping and he passed out drunk again. I had Ben drive him home and I went home with Alice. Then Sunday afternoon after he blew my phone up, I went over to his apartment and he punched me in the face, gave me this black eye and busted my nose," she motions to her face.**

**"Jesus Raven, I mean I could tell there was something amiss with your face but I didn't want to say anything, are you ok?" her tone has changed from being upity to genuine concern.**

**"Yea well, that was the last straw for me. I mean the pushing and shoving was bad as it was but I wasn't going to let that become my life. So then the next day after I left for work, Tim showed up at my apartment drunk and Alice told him I wanted nothing to do with him anymore and she beat the crap out of him,"**

**"Alice?! Really?! She's so tiny though," she replies apprehensively.**

**"She's been taking self defense classes as well as kick-boxing. How do you think she maintains her physique?" she says smiling.**

**"I suppose," Gina replies.**

**"That's when things got real bad. This afternoon, Tim showed up with his roommate James. They got into a huge fight on the front lawn and needless to say Loki beat the daylights out of both of them. He shattered James' knee and threw Tim into a tree. After he came to, he reached into his car and got a gun. He SHOT AT ME! Can you believe that freakin psycho!? In that spit moment when he was focused on me, Loki snuck up on him and broke his nose with the butt of the gun and that's when the cops showed up and took them away. We just came from the police station. We filed restraining orders,"**

**Gina sits still, wide-mouthed and bug-eyed for a moment before speaking, "Are you fucking kidding me!? He fucking shot at you?! That son-of-a-bitch. He's lucky Loki was the only one to kick his ass 'cause I swear to God, if I got a hold of him, I would tear him apart six ways from Sunday,"**

**There's a fire in Gina's eyes. That of a protective Eagle watching over her chicks. The look of a mother who loves her daughter. It really has been quite fascinating watching Gina's demeanor change over the course of the conversation. Dana has returned with our tea and Raven's chicken fingers. She digs in as I'm sure she is hungry after her ordeal.**

**"Don't worry mom, Loki put a serious beating on them. When we went to the police station, they said James' shattered knee required reconstructive surgery and that Tim had a broken rib from being thrown into the tree as well as a completely shattered nose from being cracked with the pistol,"**

**"Well, Loki, I've only just met you, but I can tell you that I like you already. Thank you for keeping my Raven safe," her tone has completely softened.**

**"I wouldn't have had it any other way. I would never allow any harm to come to her that I could prevent," I reply sipping my tea.**

**"Well hopefully you won't be hearing from Tim anymore," Gina says as she leans back and relaxes in her chair.**

**"I don't think we will be," replies Raven.**

**"So, Raven, why don't you tell me how you and Loki met,"**

**She looks at me and smiles, "Well, Loki is a friend of Alice's from college. He's Norwegian. They had a few classes together and became good friends. They recently reconnected, and, well, we hit it off. He truly is something special. He's different from anyone I've ever met," she looks deep into my eyes with hers. Her eyes are as green as the grassy fields of Asgard. They are beckoning me.**

**"I'm happy for you Raven, he definitely seems like quite the gentleman," Gina replies.**

**"He most certainly is," she says as she reaches for my hand under the table.**

**Dana has returned to clear the table of our plates and cups, "Can I get you guys anything else?"**

**"I think we're good, thank you so much," Gina replies. Dana puts a piece of paper in the center of the table. Gina reaches for it, "I got this you guys," she says with a smile.**

**"Thanks mom," replies Raven with a much softer smile than when we started out.**

**We all stand up and head to the exit. Gina pays the bill and heads out after us. It has gotten dark. Only a small bit of sunlight is left peeking through the skyline. Even in this light, Raven looks ravishing.**

**"Well, I'm glad we saw each other, I enjoyed it," says Gina.**

**Raven looks at her mother with soft eyes, "Me too mom," she replies as she hugs her. Gina seems taken back for a millisecond but then returns the hug.**

**"We should meet up like this more often. I enjoyed your company. Yours as well Loki,"**

**"Of course Ms. Milano," I reply.**

**She smiles warmly, "Call me Gina,"**

**I nod, "Gina,"**

**"Call me sometime Raven," she says.**

**"Ok, love you mom,"**

**"Love you too. Bye guys," she says as she waves and gets into her car.**

**We head back to the car and head home.**

**"Well that went a lot better than I thought it would," she says to me.**

**"Absolutely. I literally watched an evolution of emotion between the two of you. It was quite fascinating," I reply. She simply smiles.**

**We pull up to the house, park the car and head on in. Alice's car is not in the driveway. We head down the stairs and are greeted by Toby, who is sitting at the bottom of the stairs. Raven almost steps on the poor thing.**

**"Comon Toby, get out of the way, you can't just sit at the bottom of the stairs, silly," she walks into the kitchen and grabs a can from the cabinet and feeds Toby. "So I'm going to take a shower now, today's been such a long day. I need to wash all that nonsense away," she says as she heads into her room.**

**I follow behind her, "Do what you need to my dear, I'll be here waiting," I say as I kiss her forehead.**

**She smiles and retreats into the bathroom and closes the door. I lay on her bed with my hands crossed under my head. I cannot stop thinking of her. She has a hold over all my thoughts. Driving me mad, but in a good way. I stand up and pace back and forth. I want to go into the bathroom and see her. I can't stop thinking about her face; her smile; her lips; her body. Perfection. I can't take it anymore. I take a deep breath as I turn the knob to the bathroom. Raven immediately turns towards the door. There is nothing between us but the clear glass shower doors. She doesn't make any attempt to cover herself, she seems completely indifferent to my intrusion. She merely stares into my eyes. I walk over to the shower. I take a moment to take her in. Her naked body beautifully displayed in front me as the water runs over it. I pull off my shirt and throw it on the floor. She doesn't remove her eyes from mine. I unbuckle my pants and pull them off along with my boxers. Still she doesn't flinch. I slowly open the shower door and climb in. The warm water running over both our naked bodies. I reach up and touch the side of her cheek with my hand and pull her in. I kiss her sensually. Her mouth tastes so sweet. The water running freely over our closed eyes. I run my other hand down around to her lower back and pull her into me. She runs her hands up my back and pulls back. The rhythm of our kissing goes on unbroken. She is breathtaking. My heart is beating so hard, I can hear it in my head. By the gods, the sound of her staggered breathing turns me on even more with each passing moment. I run my hand down to her backside and pull up her leg so its resting on my hip. I hear a slight moan as I pull her leg up.**  
**"My bed," she says with a staggered whisper.**

**I pause and peer into her luscious green eyes. Her eyelashes kissed with water droplets.**

**"As you wish my dear," I reply.**


	9. Nocturnal Excursions

Raven: Normal  
Loki: Bold  
ESP: Italic

**I oblige her without hesitation. I let her leg down and reach out to place my hands on her hips. I am about to phase into her room when I stop.**

**"What's wrong Loki?" Raven says with broken breaths.**

**"I was going to teleport to the bedroom, but I'd rather guide you there myself, physically," I reply caressing her cheek. It's more real this way. Not only for her but for me as well. Magic can be a useful tool in any situation, however it has no place when it comes to intimacy. Raven leans down next to my hip and turns the water off. She runs her hands back over her face wiping away as much water as she can. All the while she is smiling the most delicate smile at me. She in no way seems uncomfortable or scared of what may come. I open the shower door and grab a towel off the rack and hold out my hand for her to help her out. She steps out slowly and I wrap the towel around her and kiss her neck softly as she lowly hums. She wraps it round and secures it between her breasts. I grab my towel and wrap it around my waist and secure it. Gently, I take her hand and lead her out of the bathroom into the bedroom. She closes and locks the door. The only light present is from the full moon outside peeking in through the open window at the top of the room. There is a gentle breeze that moves the trees in such a way that the shadows, once again, dance off her delicate shoulders and reflect off her wet hair. The rush of crisp summer air makes its way into the room, brushing across Raven, giving her goosebumps as she rubs her shoulders and shudders. She walks over to the end of the bed and steps onto it backwards and kneels in the middle sitting on her legs. I crawl up as well and kneel in front of her. I am staring at a goddess, MY goddess. For this god, there is no better feeling.**

**I take her hand in mine, "Raven, you truly are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid these eyes on," I whisper to her.**

**"Really, you've been around for a long time," she says with a coy smile.**

**I gently place my other hand on her cheek, smile and gaze deep into her emerald eyes, "With out a single doubt in my mind. You are truly breath-taking," I respond. No sooner as I finish my sentence, she grabs the back of my head and kisses me hard. Her mouth wide open and electric. I pull back for a moment.**

**"Are you sure this is what you want my dear?" I ask holding her hands with my lips pressed to them.**

**She softens her eyes, "Yes Loki,"**

**"Then I will make you mine," I reply.**

**I undo the towel from around her chest, freeing her soft breasts, and toss it to the floor. I remove mine from my waist as well and toss it. I lean towards her and kiss her softly. She reaches behind and places her hands on my back holding me tight. I leave her lips in longing as I move down to the edge of her jawline and down to the nape of her neck. She lets out a slight gasp as I roll my lips across the base of her neck and make my way across her shoulder. My hands placed on the tops of her arms kneading at her soft skin with each movement of my mouth. The sound of her staggared breathing sending me deeper under her spell. She pulls back a bit and start to kiss the corner of my jawline. Her soft lips dancing across my skin. She gets to my earlobe and bites it softly. By the gods what a sensation. Instantly, I feel cold chills run down my spine and feel my hairs stand at attention across my body. A moan escapes my agape mouth.**

**"Do you like that my god," she whispers deviously into my ear as she continues to knead my lobe with her teeth.**

**Just hearing her voice is driving me mad, "Oh yes my sweet goddess," I hear her chuckle a soft laugh as she resumes kissing my earlobe before moving on to my neck.**

**She runs her hands down from behind my back and rest them on the sides of my thighs, digging her nails into them slightly. The pain feels good. A truly entrancing sensation. Her mouth leaves my shoulder and she starts to run her lips across my collarbone. I reach up and put one hand on the back of her neck as I open my mouth in agony. I run my other hand down her sides, down passed her hip and cup the inside of her thigh and push it a bit to the side. She obliges without hesitation. My fingers glide down to her nether region, and with a gentle touch I hear her let out a heated moan. She is already so ready. My fingers move about freely across her essence as she continues to kiss me all over, although she seems to be losing concentration since her attention is now being drawn to me playing with her. I feel her body give out as she leans back onto the bed and pulls me with her. My fingers stay where they are, driving her into the very madness she has driven me to. Her moans becoming more defined and prevalent with each passing moment. I resume kissing her sweet mouth, delivering on all the promises I made to her.**

**A few moments pass when she grabs my hand, interrupting my foreplay. She looks up at me, her face flushed and breathing completely broken down, "I want you," she whispers as she runs her hands onto my backside and wraps one of her legs up over it.**

**I smile as I begin to kiss her again. I remove her other leg from under me and place it on the outside of my hip like the other. In this very moment, I feel weightless, like I am floating. My goddess is longing for me and I will give her all of me and make her feel the pleasure she so deserves. I position myself as I ease into her. A cry of pleasure has no trouble escaping her soft lips. She feels phenomenal. Like nothing I have ever felt before in all the Nine Realms. No other woman can match or even come close to what Raven feels like. I move into her slowly. My heart is racing so hard right now, I fear it may explode out of my chest. She runs her hands up my back and digs in with her nails. I groan with pleasure at the stinging taking place on my back. I kiss her passionately as we find our rhythm. Our bodies move as one. They are as one. Her moaning is getting louder. The sound of her coital cries sending me spiraling out of control.**

**"Oh Loki," she cries out. By the gods, she is driving me mad.**

**"Oh my sweet Raven," I reply as I resume kissing her.**

**It has now been almost an hour. Raven shows no signs of wanting to end our dance. I feel like I've reached Valhalla. The most sacred of places, but I've found it in this woman. This beautiful woman. My goddess.**

**She looks up at me with dazed eyes, "Make me yours my Loki," And with that my mind feels like it has exploded across the Nine Realms.**

**I grab a hold of her sides as I move faster and faster. Her cries are loud and defined as they escape her. I feel my climax welling up inside me as I am sure hers is as well. My body explodes from the inside out into a million pieces as I climax as does she. She relents out loud her cry of ecstasy. I grit my teeth together, tighten my grip on her hips and groan as I arch my back and look up. My eyes are closed and yet I swear I can see stars. I feel all my energy escape me like a supernova and with that I collapse on top of Raven under the weight of my exhaustion.**

I can't bring myself to believe what has just happened. I've just made love to a god! It was literally the most mind-blowing sex I'd ever had. Our bodies covered in sweat and radiating such heat that you could probably cook steaks on us. He rolls off of me and I turn into him throwing my leg over him. I run my hand up across his chest as we lie together engulfed in post-coital bliss. What true bliss it is. He truly is a god amongst men. My skin is literally crawling with a million sensations of pleasure. My hair like a wet knotty mop against the pillow as it hadn't been properly dried prior. I hold onto Loki with what little might I have left, which, needless to say isn't much. In that very moment, I felt as if the Earth stopped spinning. Everything feels so still. Even the breeze that had snuck in every so often seems to have ceased. I look at his face and his eyes are softly closed and a gentle smile graces his mouth. I gently touch the side of his cheek and he responds with a soft inhale. He opens his eyes and looks into mine. They're like sharp green arrows piercing through.

"Loki - that was - amazing! I don't even know what to say. I feel like I've had an 'out-of-body' experience. I can't even describe how I feel," I say barely able to form a sentence.

"Raven, I can say the same about you. I have never felt a woman's touch like yours. You are truly awe-insipring," he replies running his hand around the back of my head.

I lean off the bed a bit and pull the covers over us at an angle, snuggle onto his chest, and drift off.

I awake the next morning to the sunlight shining in my face. While normally I would groan the thought but this morning is different. I am so happy and nothing can break that. I look over at my boyfriend and can't help but chuckle aloud at the sight of his face smashed into the pillow with his arm hanging off the bed and his butt hanging out of the covers. Snoring nonetheless. Even in this vulnerable state, he looks godly, strong and adorable; so adorable. I lean up and run my fingertips across his back as I tilt my head smiling. He groans a bit but then smiles because he knows it's me that touches him.

"Good morning my sweet Raven," he mumbles through the side of his mouth.

"Good morning Loki, how'd you sleep," I ask.

He rolls onto his back and peers over at me, "I have never slept that good in my entire life. I felt so at peace, blissful,"

I smile, "Aww Loki, that is so sweet. Me too, I feel so relaxed,"

"It is the truth. Last night was, the best night of my life," he replies as he kisses my hand.

"It was for me too Loki. Now, how about some breakfast?" I say as I lean off the bed and grab a bra and a pair of panties out of the drawer and put them on. I grab one of his t-shirts and put it on. Don't very much care if Alice says anything.

"Absolutely Raven, that would be lovely," he replies as he pulls up his boxers and throws a shirt on.

We head out into the kitchen and Alice is already making scrambled eggs and toast. She looks over at us and smiles.

"Morning you two," she says

"Morning" we reply simultaneously as we giggle.

"I took the liberty of making some food for you guys, since I had no idea when you'd wake up,"

Loki and I look at each other and smile. We eat our breakfast pretty quickly. I look at the time. It's 10am, and I need to get ready for work. I put the plates in the dishwasher. "Thanks for breakfast Alice, it was delicious,"

"No problem guys," she replies.

I give Loki a kiss and head into the bathroom for a shower.

**My lady, my goddess, my Raven. I feel myself getting closer to her with each passing moment. I think I can admit to myself that I have fallen in love with her. Yes. I have. I must tell her, but I want to do something special for her. Hmm what to do. No, it must not involve magic. I want to do something special for her on my own. But what? I don't have any money or anything like that. Maybe Alice will help me.**

**"Alice, I have a favor to ask you," I say as I knock on the open frame of her door.**

**"Sure Loki, whats up?" She replies as she fastens her earrings.**

**"Well, I really care a lot about Raven, and I wanted to do something for her this evening to surprise her. I was thinking of maybe making a nice dinner for the two of us, maybe buy her some flowers, you know, something like that," I say with a soft voice.**

**"Aww Loki, that is so sweet. Yea sure, of course I'll help out. What do you need?" she replies happily.**

**"Well as I'm sure you know, I have no money. Would I perhaps be able to borrow some from you?"**

**She pauses and then smiles, "Of course Loki," she turns to her bed and pulls out her wallet and hands me a single greenish paper with a man's face on it with the number "100" on the corners.**

**"Is this a sufficient amount for what I'd like to do?" I ask.**

**"Most definitely. Should be more than enough. Keep whatever's left over, ya know, in case you need it later,"**

**"Thank you Alice. You have a kind heart, just like Raven,"**

**"Hey, as long as you keep my baby happy then you're ok in my book," she replies with a wink, "I gotta go to work, so have a nice day,"**

**"You got it," I reply.**

**She leaves the room and heads on up the stairs. Raven is now out of the shower. She sneaks up behind me covering my eyes.**

**"Guess who?" she says with a giggle.**

**My smile beams from ear to ear as I spin around and grab her by the waist, pick her up, and spin her in the air. She laughs playfully as her wet hair spins around the side of her face.**

**"It's my beautiful girlfriend, that's who," I say as I let her down softly. She smiles the brightest of smiles.**

**"You are too adorable Loki. So what are you going to do while I'm gone. I mean with Tim in jail, you don't have anyone's butt to kick, so what ever will you do?" she says with a giggle.**

**"Oh I'm sure I'll find something to do," I reply as I kiss her cheek.**

**She drops her towel to reveal her naked body as she walks over to her dresser. She pulls out a baby blue lace bra and matching panties and slips them on.**

**"My Raven, that color looks amazing against your skin tone," I say to her.**

**She looks down at her undergarments, "Thanks babe," she replies as she walks over to me and kisses me quick. She puts the rest of her work uniform on all while looking at me occasionally and smiling.**

**"So Raven, would you mind if borrowed your car, I have a few things I'd like to do while your gone," I ask.**

**She cocks her head a bit and smiles, "What could you possibly have to do that requires my car?"**

**I walk over to her and kiss her, _"It's a surprise my darling. Trust me though, you will love it,"_ I think to her, trying hard not to give it away.**

**She looks up at me squinting. She smiles and relents, "Sure Loki, but you'll have to drive me to and from work,"**

**"Not a problem dear, what time do I have to pick you up?" I ask.**

**"7 pm,"**

**"I'll be there love," I reply.**

**"Ok let's get going then," she says as we head up the stairs to her car. I unlock the doors and open Raven's for her, "Thanks hun," she says to me with a gentle smile. I close the door behind her and phase into the drivers seat. I look over at Raven as she places her sunglasses on the bridge of her nose. I like them a lot. I close my eyes and a copy of them phase on the bridge of my nose. Raven looks over at me and smiles, "Wow Loki, you look good in Wayfarers. Very...Human," she winks and giggles.**

**I look in the rear view mirror, "Why yes, I guess I do look rather dashing in them," I say as I stick the tip of my tongue out through my teeth as I smile. She smiles back. I start the car and back out of the driveway, "Just be sure to tell me where to go, ok?" She nods.**

**10 minutes pass and I'm pulled over in front of her job. It's noon. The building is very beautiful. A large white building with intricate crown molding, pillars and black awnings. There is a black fenced in area to the side of the restaurant filled with black umbrellas and medium sized white tables. Everything looks so elegant. 'Bella' is written in large script letters across the front of the restaurant.**

**"Thanks for the ride Loki, so I'll be done around 7 so I'll see you then," she says as she leans in and kisses me. Her tongue dancing with mine inside my mouth. As always she tastes amazing.**

**"I'll be here darling," I reply as i run my hand down the side of her face.**

**She gets out and heads inside the black tinted glass doors. Now to get to work. I take the $100 bill from my pocket and phase a copy in my other hand. The only reason I asked Alice for money is because I didn't know what it looked like. I'll be sure to return it to her when I return home. Now to head to that mall I went to with Raven, they're bound to have something nice I can get her. With the windows down, I head down the main strip and see the signs for the Brook Hills Shopping Mall. I think to myself for a moment, that I am growing quite fond of her car. So much fun to drive. Much more fun than riding horses and things of the sort. It's a shame we don't have these on Asgard. I huff a laugh at the thought. I pull off the exit for the mall and find a parking spot near where we went in last time. I get out and make my way towards the entrance. What a lovely afternoon. The warm summer breeze makes it's way through my hair as I run my fingers back through it. By the gods where to begin? I start walking, looking at all the stores as I go. Nothing seems to jump out at me. I can't buy clothes, I wouldn't know what to get her, plus it's such an impersonal gift. I can't buy her toys because she clearly isn't a child. Ahh. I happen upon what looks to be a jewelry store. Perfect. I walk in and look around at their selection. I pretty brunette woman makes her way out from behind the counter. She is petite, wearing a dark blue floral dress with a black coat and black heels.**

**"Hi there, how can we help you today?" she says with a warm smile.**

**"Yes I'm looking for a present for my girlfriend. We've been together for a while and I want to tell her that I love her for the first time and want to surprise her with something special," I couldn't very well tell her I met her four days ago. I'm sure that would sound absurd to her. It doesn't to me or Raven, and that's what matters.**

**"Aww how lovely. Well, was there anything in particular that you think she would like?" she replies.**

**I close my eyes and imagine her emerald green eyes, "Well she has the most beautiful green eyes I have ever seen, maybe something with an emerald in it, perhaps a necklace,"**

**"Wonderful! Well, all our emerald jewelry is right over here," she signals to a glass case filled with the green-stoned pieces.**

**I immediately find the right one, "That one right there, that's the perfect one," she walks behind the counter and unlocks the glass door and lifts it out, "It's beautiful, it would look lovely around her neck," I say as I smile warmly, "How much is it?" I inquire.**

**"$700," she replies.**

**"Perfect, I'll take it," As she turns to walk towards the register, I close my eyes and the one $100 bill becomes eight in my pocket. She places the necklace in a black velvet box and wraps a silver bow around it and places it in a black bag.**

**"Your total comes to $749.50," she says with a smile.**

**I reach into my pocket and count out the eight $100 bills and hand them to her. She checks each one before placing them in the cash register.**

**"Fifty dollars and fifty cents is your change today and here is your necklace. I know she'll like that necklace. I've always liked it. You have good taste sir," she says warmly.**

**"Thank you very much for all your help..." I pause as she has not told me her name.**

**"Claire," she replies smiling.**

**"Claire. Thank you my dear. You have yourself a wonderful afternoon," I say as I shake her hand.**

**"You too sir,"**

**I leave the jewelry store, very excited about Raven's present. I can't wait to give it to her. Now to see about something else. Perhaps flowers. I head on a ways and come across a place that sells flowers. I figure given the grandeur of her necklace, I'll opt for a simple floral arrangement. I walk to the counter. There is a tiny, young, blonde woman with her back turned to me, rearranging bouquet that is on the back wall.**

**"Excuse me miss," I say gently as not to alarm her, yet she jumps slightly anyway as she turns around.**

**"Oh! I'm sorry I didn't see you there hun, how can I help you?" She asks as I can see now by her flushed cheeks, she is mesmerized by the sight of me.**

**"I was looking to purchase a bouquet of flowers,"**

**"Oh, who would they be for, a friend, your mother?" she asks. I know where she is going with this.**

**"For my girlfriend," I reply trying to let her down easy.**

**Her eyes sink a bit as she is not very good at hiding it, "Oh. Well, what did you have in mind?"**

**I smile, "Well I'm going to tell her I love her for the first time, and I want it to be very special. I bought her a very nice emerald necklace just now, so I want something elegant but not too opulent as the necklace makes enough of a statement,"**

**Her demeanor softens at my story, "Aww that is soo sweet. She must be a special girl,"**

**"Oh yes, she is quite special. She has found her way into my heart like no other has before,"**

**She places a hand over her heart as she is truly touched by my words, "Well you can just go with the tried and true; a dozen red roses. They're a sure bet to win her heart without going too crazy,"**

**"That sounds perfect! I'll take a dozen red roses in the darkest shade you have, almost black, as well as a few green roses,"**

**"What an interesting combination," she says as she grabs a vase off the counter.**

**"Well she has ink black hair and the most luscious green eyes I have ever seen,"**

**"She sounds like a wonderful woman," she replies**

**"She's out of this world," I answer.**

**It takes her about 10 minutes to prepare the bouquet. It looks perfect. I know she'll love it.**

**"That'll be $50," she leans forward a bit, "It should have been alot more since the the dark roses are rare, but I was touched by your story so I gave you a break," she says as she winks.**

**"Wow, thank you so much. Thank you for you generosity," I reply as I hand her the $50 bill left in my pocket.**

**"No problem hun. Good luck tonight,"**

**"Thank you so much for everything,"**

**She simply winks and I head out with my floral trophy. I head to the car, get in, and head home. It's 4 pm. I've killed a whole 4 hours at the mall. Good, that means I'll be picking up my love soon. I pull in the driveway and head inside with my gifts. I am so excited to give them to her I can hardly contain myself. I head down the stairs. Time to get to work again. First I go to Alice's room and return her $100 bill as I will no longer be needing it. I go back to the kitchen and I put the bouquet in the middle of the kitchen table taking the pile of papers and such off and putting them on the coffee table. I put the black bag from the jewelery store under my chair so I can pull it out when she's done eating. Now for our dinner. I open the fridge and smile.**

**2 1/2 hours go by and everything is cooked and ready to go. I've cooked a juicy steak with red potatoes, green beans and a salad. Everything looks and smells fantastic. I leave everything in to oven to keep it warm. I look around the apartment in search of 2 candles. All I seem to be able to find are large smelly candles in glass jars. Yes they smell great but I'm looking for something simpler. I sigh and with a wave of my hand, 2 white stick candles with silver bases appear on the table. Wonderful. 6:45, time to pick up my girlfriend.**

**I get to the restaurant and she's waiting for me outside. She smiles at the sight of me pulling up. She gets in and without saying a word, grabs my face and kisses me. Ahh my goddess is here with me now.**

**"My goodness, someone missed me huh?" I chuckle.**

**"Maybe," she replies with a wink.**

**"I missed you too my dear,"**

**"So what's this surprise you have for me, huh Loki?"**

**I look at her with eyes squinted and a smile, "You'll see," she smiles back.**

**We get back home and before she gets to the door, I come up behind her and cover her eyes with my hands.**

Damn I guess it's a super secret surprise. Next thing I know, he has phased us into the kitchen, I know this because I can smell food. Delicious food. Ok so he must have cooked. Hmmm. What's he up to. Just then, I hear the sound of dishes moving about and silverware clinking. That's weird seeing as though Loki hasn't let go of my eyes.

He releases my eyes, "Open your eyes my dear," he whispers softly in my ear.

I open my eyes to bouquet of blood red and green roses and a full steak dinner. Wow! He has been busy. I turn and jump into his arms, "Oh my God Loki, this is soo sweet. Everything looks beautiful!" He looks at the table and scoffs and with a wave of his hand, the two candles light up.

He looks back down at me and caresses my cheek, "You're most welcome Raven. I wanted to do something special for you. You have been so sweet to me in this small amount of time. Then last night, you made me feel so alive, giving me the best night of my life. Well, I just wanted to say thank you,"

I look up at him, feeling a bit choked up, "You're welcome Loki, you're very welcome," I reply as he holds out his hand to my chair and we sit down and start eating.

I literally feel like I'm about to pop, I've eaten so much. Everything was so delicious! Wow, he sure can cook.

"Loki that dinner was lovely. I am so stuffed. It was very delicious!"

He looks up at me deviously as he wipes his mouth with his napkin, "Raven, there is one more thing I got for you. I came across this today and thought you would love it,"

I feel a chill come over me as I watch him reach under his chair and pull up a small black bag. He turns to me and hands me the bag. I reach inside and pull out a black velvet box wrapped with a silver ribbon. My heart sinks even more. I make quick work of the ribbon, open the box, and gasp. Before me is a gold necklace with a very large heart-shaped emerald surrounded by diamonds. I look up at him wide-mouthed and bug-eyed. I am speechless. Words, LITERALLY escape me.

"Loki, I-I-I don't know what to say. Th-this is the most beautiful gift I've ever gotten before. I'm speechless," I can't help it at this point. I start to cry tears of sheer bliss.

He reaches for the necklace and places it around my neck securing it. I look down at it and touch it. It is breathtakingly beautiful.

"Raven Cosentino, again, I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate all you have done for me. You truly are the most wonderful woman I have ever met. Despite the circumstances that lead me here, I am glad they happened or I never would have met you. You are truly special to me. *Sigh* I guess what I'm getting at is- I love you Raven," he admits, looking deep into my eyes with the softest of looks.

I feel my heart melt like a stick of butter in the desert. Truth is, I had been starting to feel closer to him as well but I was too scared to say anything.

"Really?" I ask.

He reaches for my hands again, "Absolutely Raven, I have fallen madly in love with you Raven,"

I look up into his eyes and smile, "I love you too Loki,"

He wipes my tears away before wrapping his arms around me. Hugging me oh so tight. Bliss.


	10. Raised By Wolves

/ Hey guys! I've refrained from authors notes up until now because I wanted you guys to focus on the story, but the overwhelming response I've gotten from it has got me a bit giddy I hope you all have been enjoying it so far and are still hanging in there! There is A LOT more to come Please feel free to leave reviews, theyre much appreciated ! 3 You all -V /

Raven: Regular  
Loki: **Bold**  
ESP: _Italic_  
In this chapter, italics will be used for a phone conversation. Thought I'd point that out to avoid confusion.

Wow! I am completely beside myself right now. I mean, not only did Loki cook this fabulous meal for us and bought me flowers, but he bought this exquisite, beautiful necklace. I am speechless. I look down at the emerald piece, completely awe-struck. It sparkles vibrantly as it moves between the tips of my fingers. I start to zone out in the luster of the necklace when I hear Alice coming down the stairs.

"Hey guys, I'm home!" she says as she prances down the stairs. "Wow, Loki, you've been busy I can see," she puts her purse down on the chair and oggles the dinner spread still laid out on the table. He nods slightly as he giggles.

I look up at her with puppy dog eyes holding the necklace forward, "Look what Loki got me," I say in the tiniest of voices.

Alice's eyes practically pop out of her head, "Holy shit! He bought that for you?!" I nod. "Today?!"

"Yyes, why?!" I ask puzzled.

"Well, he came to me to ask for some money because he wanted to do something special. Thing is, I only gave him $100,"

"Ahh that reminds me," Loki chimes in casually as he walks into Alice's room and grabs something from the dresser and walks back out. "Here you are Alice, thank you so much," he says as he hands her the $100 bill back.

Alice holds it in her hand and just stares at it for a minute, "Um, ok, I'm lost," she shakes her head.

"Well the only reason I asked to borrow money was because I had no idea what it looked like. I was able to conjure up some of my own to purchase Raven's gifts," he explains.

"So let me see If I understand this, you basically made money from thin air?" Alice has the most contorted and confused look on her face right now.

Loki holds out his hand and 3 $100 bills appear and then disappear with a flash of light, like a magic trick.

"Whaaat?! That is freaking cool! You wanna hook me up with some cash," she replies like a teenager eyeing her parent's wallet.

"Alice, my dear, I only did that to get something for Raven, I couldn't, in good conscience make money. It wouldn't be very honest," he replies. Sheesh he sounds like such a Boyscout, but I understand his point.

"He's right Alice, just think, if he gave us each, say a million dollars, don't you think it would raise some red flags with the IRS and whatnot," I say eyebrows raised.

She pouts, "Urgh that's not fair, but I guess you're right,"

"I only use my magic when it's necessary,"

"Ya know, for the God of Mischief, you're very ... tame," I say with a squint and a giggle.

"_You know that to be untrue, love,_" he thinks to me with a devious facial expression.

"Ha!" I say out loud; mistakenly.

"What?" Alice snaps back startled by my exclamation.

"Huh? Oh. Oops. Loki and I were talking telepathically," I say with a bit of a flushed face.

"Oh Jesus. You guys.." she says with the biggest eye-roll I have ever seen on her face. I just look at Loki and laugh.

He walks over to me wrapping his arms around the top of my shoulders, "Now Alice, don't be bitter,"

"I'm not, I'm just messin with you guys," she replies with a wink. She walks over to Loki and places her hand on his shoulder, "I've actually grown quite fond of you Loki, you're alright,"

"Likewise. Your compassion for your friend is palpable. Raven's lucky to have you," he replies with a smile.

She puts her hand on my head and flurries her hand back and forth, "Thats my girl,"

I look up at her and scowl a poker face, "Really?" She simply laughs and heads to the fridge. *Sigh* she's something else sometimes. I start to fix Alice's mess she made on the top of my head, when a spinning flash of blue light comes from the living room. "Um, is that you Loki?" I ask looking up at him.

He pulls his arms from me, stands and smiles, "No. It's my brother," he walks over to the living room with his hands on his hips.

With a bright flash of light, a man appears. He is tall, almost as tall as Loki, with long blonde wavy hair. He's wearing a navy blue t-shirt, black pants and boots. He's very handsome, and buff! This must be Thor.

**"Dearest brother! What a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon. How are you?" I say as I walk over to Thor and pat him hard on the back.**

"Ahh it is so good to see you again Loki" he replies cutting his hug short by the sight of the women, "Brother we are being rude right now, who are these beautiful young women?" He walks over towards Raven and Alice.

"Yes! Of course! Thor, this is Raven; the woman I spoke of," I say as I gesture to her.

She walks forward as Thor bows slightly while quickly kissing her hand, "My lady. Loki has told me much about you. Your beauty is just as he spoke of, if not better," he says, ever the charmer. He looks over to Alice and his face flushes. He is shell-shocked by the mere sight of her, "Loki, WHO is this?" He is completely entranced by her.

Alice and Thor are in an eye-lock. She is just as mesmerized by him as he is, "My n-name is Alice. Alice McMurphy," he lifts her hand gently and kisses it, a bit longer though. His eyes never leaving hers.

He places his other hand over hers, "Alice Mc-Murphy. What a beautiful name. I am Thor Odinson of Asgard; God of Thunder; and brother of Loki. May I say, if I'm not being too forward, that you are absolutely spellbinding. The most stunning woman I have ever seen in the Nine Realms,"

She tilts her head down a bit modestly, "Really? That sounds a bit 'other-worldly' don't you think?" her normally sarcastic responses have been replaced by a tamed, yet still witty remark this time around. She is completely taken by him, as is he.

I better break this up before it's discovered that he's here, "So, Thor, what brings you to back to Earth? Surely it wasn't only to inquire about my health,"

He snaps out of his trance and is brought back down to Earth, "By the gods Loki. Yes. You're right. I have come, regretfully, with unpleasant news," his face immediately sinks as he speaks.

"What's wrong? What has happened?" My heart sinks as a thousand terrible thoughts go through my head.

"It's father. He's fallen into the Odinsleep. He was battling a group of rouge Jotuns near the edge of the city with the Warriors Three and Lady Sif, when he simply collapsed. If they hadn't been there to fend them off, he would have been slain where he lied. There were so many of them that they barely made it back as it was. Volstagg had severe frostbite on his neck and shoulder and Sif had a huge gash in her thigh from being stabbed with an ice spear. Mother, as always is by his bedside and will remain there until he awakens. She is so saddened by what has happened. Not only father's state but the Jotun attack as well. The entire kingdom is on edge. Calming the nerves of our fellow citizens has proven to be a most daunting task since the duties of the throne have fallen to me now,"

I pause in horror. What to make of this. The Jotuns, despite being my true bloodline, were a terrible race hell-bent on destruction and chaos. I loathed them so. Then, this news of Odin. Though part of me still hated him for using me as a possible peace treaty with those monsters, I still fear for his well-being in this most vulnerable phase of his life. For I am sure that whatever Jotuns escaped with their lives, surely told the rest that Odin had been incapacitated.

"That's awful. I...I don't even know what to say," I plant my face in the palm of my hand and shake it, "and I'm sure my absence probably played a role in his weakening strength?"

"Most definitely. He misses you. We all do; but you know father, there's always a reason for what he does, especially when it comes to upholding the law," he says placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Yes, well, in retrospect, things certainly happened for a reason, as I would not have met this wonderful mortal and her most vivacious friend," I say with a glimmer of a smile.

"Um, ok so I have a question, whats 'the Odinsleep'?" Chimes Raven with her hand raised a bit.

"The Odinsleep happens when the Allfather, er, the king's, powers are depleted and he is forced to 'sleep' in order to regain them. Any number of factors can contribute to it; stress, battle, injury, emotional distress. Sometimes it lasts a few days, sometimes weeks or even months. There's no way of knowing when it will happen, or how long it will last, but when it does, he is left in a weakened, mortal, state until he regains his strength," I reply.

"So it's kinda like being in a coma?" she questions.

"Yes, I suppose one could equate it with that,"

"Ahh. I see," she says with a nod.

"Brother, this IS terrible news. Not only was I hoping to see you to inquire about the state of my banishment, I wanted to then ask father if I was permitted to bring Raven to Asgard," I reply with a heavy heart.

"Really?!" squeeks Raven.

I chuckle, "Why yes of course! I would love to bring you to see my world," I say as I turn to Raven and hold her hand, "You would absolutely love it my dear,"

She smiles, "Wow! I don't even know what to say. That sounds like it would be wonderful!" Her eyes full of life at the sound of being invited to the Realm Eternal.

Thor chimes in, "Loki, I'm sure Raven would like it if Alice came too, you know, to have a more familiar face around," he is once again eye-locked with Alice.

"**_Oh I see what this is Thor. Look at you, your oggling her like nothing I've ever seen before,_****" I think to him.**

"**_It is not like that, brother. She truly is beautiful. I would very much like to get to know her better,_****"**

"**_Well that better be the case. Alice is a wonderful person. She's not some floozy woman that you can simply bed and have no recourse with,_****" I reply while looking him dead in the eye.**

"Brother, you have nothing to be worried about!" he replies aloud amidst a hearty bellow.

"Alright then. I will hold you at your word," I say as I point at the childish grin on his face. I look over at Alice, who is looking at Raven with a confused look.

"Don't fret ladies, all is well," I reassure to my love with a touch of her chin.

"Well then, I must return to Asgard. Loki, I will return when father has awaken. Hopefully not too much time will pass until we see each other again," he bellows with a hug.

I pull back with hands still resting atop his shoulders, "It was good to see you again Thor. Be well and stay safe,"

Thor walks over to Raven, "Raven, take care of my little brother for me, they don't call him the God of Mischief for no good reason," he says as he shoots me a kiddish look whilst bowing a bit, his hand on hers.

I shoot him a sarcastic 'thank you' look, "Oh ha ha. I'm sure you don't want me telling these young ladies about that one time during your combat training, do you?" I say with an eyebrow raised.

His smile presses into a straight line as he points to me, "Don't you dare!"

"Ehehe, I won't. I was joking brother,"

His gaze leaves my eyes as he turns to Alice, "It was a pleasure to meet you Alice. I do hope we see each other again," he says as he once again plants a kiss on her hand.

"It was a pleasure you meet you as well, Thor," she replies with flushed cheeks.

He takes a few steps back and disappears with a flurry of white and blue light.

"So that was Thor, huh?" I ask signaling to the remnants of the portal.

"Yes Raven. My dearest brother," he replies with a sly smile.

"He seems like a great guy. He seem like he cares a lot about you,"

"Oh yes. He has always been the ever conscious older brother. He always looked out for me when we were younger. If he wasn't trying to one-up me and show off, he was making some poor fool pay for crossing me," he replies with a warm smile.

"How is he with the ladies?" Chimes Alice in her oh-so-subdle way.

He chuckles, "Ehehe, he is as loyal as they come. He may be a bit of a showboater when it comes to matters of war, but when it comes to matters of the heart, he is most loving,"

"Good," she replies simply.

"You're too funny Alice. So you've got a crush on the God of Thunder and I'm dating the God of Mischief. It doesn't get more stranger sounding than that huh?" I say barely able to control my laughter.

Loki starts laughing along with Alice, "Yea I guess you're right hun," she laughs.

Amidst our collective laughter, my cellphone rings. I walk over to it. I don't recognize the number, but I recognize that it's a local number. Who could be calling me this late, well, it's not late for me, but 10:30 is late for a lot of people.

"Hello?"

"_Is this Raven Cosentino?_" says a familiar male voice, however phones always make people sound different.

"Yes, who's speaking?"

"_It's Officer O'Connell_" he replies.

"John. Yes! How are you? What can I do for you?" surely he's calling with Tim-related news.

"_I hope I'm not disturbing you by calling this late. I felt the news I had couldn't wait,_" My heart sinks.

"What's wrong? Is something wrong?" I plead.

"_Well, I have some good news and bad. The good news is your restraining orders were both granted,_" he pauses.

"And..." I insist.

"_The bad news is, Tim and James made bail,_" he admits reluctantly.

"WHAT?! Who the hell bailed them out?!" I scream as Alice and Loki's faces turn from content to shocked simultaneously.

"_Hang on let me pull up the release form,_" I hear shuffling of papers, "_Ah yes, a Mrs. Victoria DeStefano,_"

"That's Tim's aunt. She's the District Attorney for the city, and might I add, violently wealthy. A few years back, she was accused of embezzlement, but the case hit a brick wall when some of the evidence was found to have been collected illegally and a mis-trial was declared. But as far as I knew, Tim was all but estranged from his family," I slam my hand to my forehead in sheer disbelief.

"_Well, I guess not. She came down in her fancy-shamncy SL 55 AMG Mercedes, parking in the fire lane, none the less, and posted both their bails. Might I add, she is a fucking piece of work, excuse my language. She came in like a freakin tornado, demanding this, that and the third, 'Where's my nephew?' 'What'd that bitch do?' 'I'll make her pay for what she did,' blah blah blah,_" he continues.

"Yea, what very little I knew about her was that she was very high-strung and stuck-up; a real ball-buster,"

"_Yup that's her alright. Well needless to say, I felt obligated to inform you that he was released. Now that you've told me that his aunt is the district attorney, his trial probably won't go as we'd like it to, but we won't know for a while since she postponed his arraignment,_"

"Jesus! That woman has some serious pull!" I yell.

"_Yup. In either case, keep an eye out and if you see him, be sure to call me at the station. I wrote my cell number on the back of the card I gave you so you can get a hold of me faster in, God forbid, a dire situation. I always have it on me,_" he explains.

"Thank you so much for everything John. We really appreciate it,"

"_No problem. I have to go now, you have yourself a good night,_"

"You too, goodbye." I press end and toss the phone aimlessly on to the kitchen table.

Loki walks over to me as I am petrified where I stand, "Raven, I swear to you, I won't let anything happen to you; to either of you," he hugs me tight.

"I don't even want to think about it tonight, I just want to go to bed. I want to think about the lovely evening I had with you and nothing else," I reply as I gaze up at him.

"Very well," he replies.

"Good night Alice," I say.

"'Night hun," she says as she pats my back and retires to her room.  
Loki and I head into my room. I close the door and flip the light switch.

"Wow, what a day huh?" I say as I peel off my work uniform as I hadn't had a moment to do so since I came home.

"Raven, as far as I am concerned, you and I had a lovely evening and my brother came to visit. All other goings-on will be dealt with in time; not tonight though," he says as he runs his hands over the tops of my shoulders and kisses me.

"Fair enough," I reply.

I climb into bed, Loki follows. I snuggle up next to him and close my eyes.


	11. Officer O'Connell

/ /Hey guys! Sorry about the last chapter being so short, I felt like it was kind of a filler chapter seeing as though we are kinda half way through the story. This chapter was a bitch to complete because there has been so much going on in my life, that I kept getting super distracted. So I am apologizing ahead of time if it's a bit choppy... It is setting up some story points that will come into play in Ch12 ... hope you like it still -V / /

Raven: Regular  
ESP: Italic + phone convo + flashback dialogue

I wake up feeling much more rested than usual. So much has been going on, I'm surprised I've been able to sleep as much as I have. The clock says 12 noon. Damn! I have slept long. Just then I hear a short, stunted snore. Loki. A deeply drawn smile stretches across my face as I roll over to look at him. His black, coiffed locks drape over the side of his face as he drools into the pillow. What a fantastic sight! I roll back over and grab my phone off my dresser and snap a shot of Loki's dapper demeanor. I can't help but snort a smile to myself as I look at the photo as it stills on my screen. That's a keeper. I lower the phone at the sight of the rest of him. His broad yet slim shoulders moving slowly up and down with each breath. So amazing. I run my eyes down his back to the hem of his black and grey plaid boxers. My God he looks so sexy, even if he is drooling into the pillow. My finger makes its way to the hem draping gently under the elastic band. I noticed his body stir a bit at my touch.

He groans an intrigued mewl, "Don't start something you cannot finish my dear," he says through the pillow.

I giggle coyly to myself, "I was simply admiring your godly physique my love,"

He positions himself behind me, fitting his legs over mine and hugs me tight, "Oh is that all?"

I smile at the notion as he descends on my lips. I will never get tired of kissing these lips; never. I steady myself as I reluctantly deny his advance, "Oh trust me, I would love to show you that that's not all, but I have so much to do today,"

He grips me tighter, "It can wait," he whispers into my ear before gingerly nipping at it.

I revel in the chilling sensations it has created, "Urgh, Loki you are not making this easy for me,"

"That's the idea," he hisses.

I turn to him, "I really do have a lot to do today, come on, you're coming too,"

He pouts that puppy dog face he knows I can't help but love, "Alright, I guess if I can spend a whole day with you that's ok too," I hope he knows that one day he'll probably kill me with those faces he makes.

I climb out of bed and throw on a pair of black capri leggings and a grey razorback tank. I furrow my hair and head out into the kitchen. Loki follows suit throwing on a black beater and grey cargo shorts. Toby greets us at the door as always.

"Oh I'm sorry buddy, you must be starving," I say to him as I've usually fed him by now. He all but hisses at me at the sound of the can opening.

"So what do you have to do today love?" he asks.

"Well today's payday so I have to go grocery shopping for one, cuz having 3 people here now, there's no food in the house, I have to put gas in my car, I have to pick up my dry cleaning for work, ya know, a bunch of stuff," I say playfully.

"Oh yes, food shopping. It is getting a bit sparse in your fridge," he laughs as he points to it.

"You mean OUR fridge," I reply as I place my hands on his hips.

He replies by pulling me into him, "Indeed my love," he says as he plants a kiss.

"Ya know something?" he looks at me head cocked, "I will NEVER get tired of that," I say as I beam a smile.

He places his fingers gently under my chin, "Neither will I my love," he replies.

"Now let's see if the Irish princess wants to come with us seeing as though her vacation has started today," I say as I make my way to her door. It's open a crack which means, fair game.

I guide the door open slowly. It takes me every bit of energy I have to stop myself from laughing at the sight before me. She is sprawled out left to right across her bed. Her long auburn locks cascading over her face and off the bed. Her pillow is on the floor below her head as her hand dangles down and barely touches it. Then, the funniest part of the whole scene, her legs are out and tangled in the sheets as her butt is hanging out, hugged by a pair of black undies sporting the Victoria's Secret PINK logo across it. Oh this is too easy. I look over at Loki and press a finger to my lips as I sneak back out across to my room and grab my phone. I snap a picture of the hilariousness before me before handing the phone to him.

"I'll make good use of that later. Now, watch this," I whisper.

I tip toe over to her derriere, raise my hand up high and slap it down on to her butt. A loud crack lets out as she is completely shaken out of her sleep.

"WHAT THE FU-" she screams before she flips backwards off the bed amidst her own flailing.

At this point Loki and I are completely engulfed in laughter, "Ha! That's what you get for sleeping so late!"

She is now, frantically trying to free herself from her sheets. When her head finally makes it way free, she slams her hands down on the puddle of sheets and lets out a loud stunted grunt. Her hair is completely out of control messy. Then she shoots me that look; that evil burning look. I look over at Loki, laughing and notice him looking over my shoulder wide-eyed for a split second as I feel Alice spearing me onto the bed. She has me pinned face down as I wrestle with her.

"Urgh, dammit Alice!" I shout as I feverishly try to free myself, but to no avail.

Then I catch out of the corner of my eye, her hand high up. Oh no! Here it comes. Loki is standing there with his hand over his mouth trying to hide his laughter. *Whack* Her hand comes down with such force it sends shock waves through my entire body.

"Ha! Now we're even!" She says as she climbs off me and sashays out of the room to the bathroom.

I squint and hard press my lips towards her and huff. Then look up at Loki, "You just stand there," I say sternly yet playfully.

"Oh, my dear, far be it from me to get in the middle of your playful quarrels with your roommate," he replies hands raised.

I stand up and pull my leggings down a bit to reveal the seething red hand print on my posterior, "Oh is that so," I say trying to sound serious but I can't.

He gently places his hand on my butt and rubs it a bit, "Better my dear?"

I half-cock a smile, "Yea I guess." I head back out and knock on the bathroom door, "Hey, you wanna come with us to the grocery store and stuff?"

"Yea sure, gimmie a little bit to get ready," she replies as I hear the water turn on.

Just then my phone rings. I turn and grab it and it's the police station.

"Hello?"

"_Hey, it's Officer O'Connell, how are you?_"

"John! I'm good. How are you?"

"_I'm doing ok. So listen, I was doing some thinking about the whole Tim situation. It's completely obvious at this point that Victoria is going to make things very difficult no matter which way we go and no matter what we do. I've seen this before all too often. These punk kids break every law under the sun and their rich, well-connected mommys and daddys, or whomever, come in and bail 'em out. Then when it comes to sentencing they get slaps on the wrists and ACD's or in some cases they walk! It really pisses me off! In any case, my thought is that you guys should come down to the station and press charges of your own; individually. I mean the charges filed by the city are one thing, but maybe if you guys file charges of your own, it might prevent him from getting off so easy. It's not a guarantee but it's worth a try,_" he explains.

"Yea, sure, I guess. I'm willing to try anything at this point to make sure he gets his just-rewards,"

"_Ha, I hear you on that. So why don't you guys come down to the station and we can get rolling on the paperwork,_"

"Sure thing. We'll be there in a little bit,"

"_Ok, see you then. Bye,_"

"Bye,"

I hang up the phone and stow it in my bra.

"Who was that?" Asks Loki.

"It was John, he wants us to come by the station today and press charges against Tim. He thinks if we do that, it might be able to prevent him from getting off so easily,"

"Well that sounds great! Whatever it takes Raven, he will pay for what he's done,one way or another," he drapes his arms around me and pulls me in tight. Alice comes out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel as a cloud of steam billows out behind her. I explain to her what John has just told me. She retreats into her room to get dressed.

"I just wish this whole thing would just go away," I say as I gaze up at him, but it more or less feels like I'm looking through him for all the thoughts going through my head right now.

"My dear, all you have to do is say the words and I could very easily take care of it," he replies with an eyebrow raised and a sly smile.

"What do you mean, like kill him? As titillating as that sounds, it's not that simple here on Earth. There are rules and whatnot. I don't know, I just wish he would move away or something. I just want to be able to go about my daily life without having to worry about him; without having to worry about looking over my shoulder wherever I go. Truth be told, I wish I never met him in the first place," I cannot help but to now find myself in a bit of a depression. I've never really had the best choices in men, well, except for Loki, but he is completely different from anyone Earth could ever hope to offer. It all plays back to the same old cliche, they seemed so sweet in the beginning, then they turn into something more; or less.

He plants his hand atop my head, "Just know I would do anything you ask of me. You are my everything and I will protect you at all costs,"

"You have no idea how much that means to me to hear you say that knowing full well that you mean it. You truly are amazing Loki,"

"As are you Raven," he says as his hand rejoins his other around my waist and he rests his cheek on my head.

"Alright guys let's get going, the sooner we go, the sooner we can hope to get this over with," chimes Alice as she comes out in a black and white flowered sundress.

We all head out to my car and hop in. We pull into the parking lot at the police station.

"How many times do you think we'll need to come here?" I say over to Alice with a nudge.

"Ha! Hopefully a million times if it'll keep that psycho away," She says as she playfully sashays into the front door.

I make my way to the glass window to the left. There's a different cop there this time; an older cop. His face ridden with lines from many years of police work. His salt and pepper hair perfectly coiffed like it's straight out of his past.

"How can I help you folks today?" he asks in a raspy, elderly voice.

"We're here to see John O'Connell," I reply.

"Sure thing, let me buzz him for ya. What's your names so he knows who's here,"

"Raven Cosentino,"

Hey picks up the phone, "Hey John, got a Ms. Cosentino here to see ya. Ok I'll tell them," he hangs up the phone, "He said he'll be right out, he's just finishing up something,"

A few minutes go by and he comes through the large glass door, "Hey guys! Great to see you again! Come on in!"

He seems bubblier than normal, oh well. We make our way to his desk.  
"So what do we gotta do now?"

He slides over a pile of paperwork to me, Alice, and Loki, "I know it looks like a lot, but these reports, I took the liberty of typing myself. These aren't your standard issue charge reports, I tailored them specifically for your case. I had my lawyer sister-in-law help me with them. They may not stop them, but they may slow them down."

He said sister-in-law in a funny way; barely though. It took me a second to even notice the break in his tone. I look briefly at his left hand and notice an indent from where there would normally be a wedding ring, but no ring. I cock my eyebrow a bit and stow the thought. We fill out our paperwork and hand it back.

He pauses a minute as he pulls our paperwork from in front of us, "I don't know why, but I feel very strongly about this case,"

I look over at Alice and Loki, puzzled, "What do you mean?" His eyes seem to vanish in on themselves, almost like water going down a drain. He stares at his left hand in a far away daze. I look back at Loki then back at John, "John? Are you ok?"

He pauses a moment more before coming to, "Huh? Oh my God. I'm sorry. I-I lost my focus there for a moment," He gathers the papers hurriedly before stopping his hands atop the pile of papers. He closes his eyes and sighs, "There are some things about my life, that make this case personal for me,"

Now I am completely intrigued, "Like what?"

"It's a long story, and this isn't the best venue. I'll tell you what, Camron and I go to O'Mally's every Thursday night for drinks and pool, why don't the 3 of you join us,"

"Who's Camron?" I ask.

"Camron's my partner, the man that was with me the other day,"

"Ohhh. Makes sense. Well, um," I look to Alice who presses her lips and nods slightly, "sure we'd love to. What time you wanna meet?"

"Well I'm out of here at 7 so I'll meet you guys there at, say, 9?"

"Sounds great! We'll see you there!" I say shaking his hand.

He walks us out to the lobby and we head to the car.

"What do you think that was about?" Alice asks as she pulls her sunglasses down off her forehead.

"I don't know, but from the looks on his face, he didn't look too happy. Plus when he said 'sister-in-law, his voice kind of changed. I don't know, maybe we're reading to far into it. In either case, he's probably going to tell us tonight,"

"I picked up on it too. Something was definitely different about him after he mentioned his 'sister-in-law.' The look on his face was very distant and morose," Chimes Loki. I look up at him and shrug my shoulders.

A few hours pass and everything on my to-do list is done. Grocery shopping is done, gas tank is filled, dry cleaning picked up. I love productive days like this. We make our way into the house with bags and bags of groceries. I may have gone a bit overboard, but with Loki's 'other-worldly' appetite, I didn't want to take any chances on us running out any time soon. We bought everything; steak, chicken, pork chops, fish, even bought a spiraled ham just because it was on sale. Even bought a bit of junk food this time around. Nothing crazy, just some cookies and chips. Normally I would never buy them because Tim always made me feel self conscious about my weight. There were so many times when I found myself almost starving just so I wouldn't gain any weight for fear he'd say something. Jesus Christ! Listen to myself! If I ever heard someone say something like that out loud, I'd think they were crazy. Yet here I was, a victim of an emotional crippler. One whom I hopefully never have to deal with ever again. Amidst my thoughts of my flawed taste in men, I look over at Loki who is helping Alice put the food away. I think to myself, like I have many times already, that I am so lucky to have him in my life. Everything about him is just, perfect. Everything from the way his hair looks, down to the sound of his laugh, to those indescribable green eyes of his.

"_I feel you staring at me Raven,_" thinks Loki to me as he is obscured from view by the fridge door.

"_Damn you're good. I was just thinking about all the things I love about you,_"

"_And what did you decide,_" he responds as he stands up.

"_I don't have enough time to say them all,_" I reply with a wink and a smooch on my lips.

He huffs a laugh before returning to the groceries.

"I'm gunna shower first, since I take the longest, and then start getting ready,"

"Alright my dear," he says smoothly.

I retreat into the bathroom and get into the shower. As the warm water trickles over my body, I can't help but think about everything that has been going on. My mind going in a million different directions; the night at the campsite, the black eye, the night at the mall, reconnecting with my mother, that horrible day on the front lawn, the firey night between Loki and I, his gift to me. As I close my eyes imagining that night, I run my hand up to my chest to hold the emerald heart. I still can't get over him buying it for me. It's so beautiful. He truly is amazing. The words of that night play over and over in my head; _I have fallen madly in love with you Raven_. His voice echoing in my head like a pinball. The sound of it so sweet to my subconscious. Then today; what John said; _This case is personal to me_. I find myself completely intrigued to what he meant by it. He seemed pained by the thought. This is probably not going to be good, but who knows. I calm my mind as I finish up my shower and head into my room. I drop my towel and open my closet door and feel Loki's phase behind me as he wraps his arms around my waist.

"Look at my goddess in all her glory," he whispers as he kisses my neck.

"Why hello there. Where'd you come from?" I say as I spin round.

He looks up and cocks his mouth into a smile, "Ehehe, space, actually,"

"Haha, you're too funny babe," I reply.

He walks over to the bed and lays on his stomach propping his head up with his hands looking at me, "You look amazing naked you know,"

I blush a bit at the thought, "Ha! Likewise," I reply with a wink.

"So what are you going to wear?" he asks as he rolls onto his back with his head hanging upside down towards me.

I look to my closet, "I don't know yet," I rummage through it and find the perfect outfit. Aha! I pull out my canary yellow tube top, black skinny jeans and black sandal flats and throw them on the bed.

"Very colorful choice my dear," he says as I've noticed the tube top is splayed across his face.

I turn and bust out laughing, "Oops I wasn't looking when I threw them," He sits up and simply smiles. I get dressed and throw on my jewelry and check myself out in front of the mirror.

"Wow that outfit looks so much better on you Raven,"

"Thanks! Yea, um, funny thing about this outfit. I bought it on a night Tim was supposed to take me out to dinner, he ended up getting drunk and passing out and completely forgetting about it," I sink my head a bit.

He cups my chin lifting it, "And now you're wearing it for someone who genuinely appreciates you and would NEVER do anything like that," he leans in and kisses me. I hear a knock at the door.

"Come on you two, quick neckin' and lets get going!" shouts Alice from outside the door.

"Oh ha ha ha. We're coming!" I roll my eyes to Loki and head out.

"Woah! Nice outfit there bumblebee," says Alice as she widens her eyes and giggles.

"Say what you will Alice. I think she looks beautiful no matter what," he says wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

"Haha, I know, I was totally messing with her. She knows I like to pick on her even though I love her," she bumps my shoulder with her fist and heads up the stairs. I look at Loki smiling shaking my head.

We get to O'Mally's and it's packed! We make our way through the crowd to find John standing up in the corner booth waving for us.

"Hey guys! Glad you could make it!" He says as he gives me and Alice a hug and shakes Loki's hand. He motions to Camron, "This is my partner, Camron Shaw. The craziest Scot' you'll probably ever meet! Camron, that's Raven Cosentino, Alice McMurphy, and Loki Odinson,"

"Pleasure to officially meet you all," he replies in a heavy Scottish accent.

"Pleasure, Camron," I reply.

"Come! Sit down, sit down! What would you all like, first round's on me," he says. He seems to have gotten started without us with his buzz.

"I'll have a vodka cranberry, Loki'll have a Bud Light bottle," I look over at Alice.

"I'll have a Jack and coke," she replies.

"Perfect! Janelle," he motions to the waitress walking passed him, "can we get 2 more Guinness', a vodka cranberry, Bud Light bottle and a Jack and coke, and put that all on my tab, thanks hun,"

"You got it Officer O'Connell," she replies with a smile as she walks away.

"So, how are all of you this evening?" he asks.

"Good, I guess, can't complain," I reply. Loki and Alice reply similar answers.

"Glad to hear it! So anyway, yea your case is getting a ugly again," he says as he sips his drink.

"How so?" I reply.

"Well after you left I filed your charges against Tim, and I got a phone call from Victoria. She went on and on about how the charges are unwarranted and without merit and all this bullshit. I swear that woman is the devil in heels! I've met my fair share of hot heads and big shots, but so far, she is taking the cake and running with it! Long story short, she is basically claiming the charges are false and is motioning them to be dismissed, but I won't let him get away that easy. I put in a call to my sister-in-law, who said she'd represent you guys free of charge. She's had some dealings with this woman before so she knows how and where to hit her. Hopefully she can pull through for you guys,"

I feel a slight pain in my forehead as I pinch the bridge of my nose with my fingers, "I swear I wish I never met that man. He has become the very bane of my existence. Wait, did you say she'd represent us for free?!" Janelle comes with our drinks and I take a huge gulp of mine.

"Yes, I did. And yes she will. She's like me, a firm believer in justice; something that is sorely ignored too often in this country. Our founding fathers are probably rolling in their graves at what we've become as a society. It really is fucking sad. Rapists and murderers and thieves and drug dealers are getting the royal treatment, whether they're getting off easy with their sentences or not even being tried at all based on a technicality, a fucking flaw in the system! Or there's times when a case goes completely off the radar, swept under the rug, out of sight for noone to see," the look in his eyes at this point is one of sheer anguish and sadness.

Camron places his hand on his shoulder, "Hey, John, take it easy ok? It's alright,"

He takes a deep breath and calms himself a bit, "I'm sorry guys. I just get worked up sometimes, plus the alcohol, and everything,"

"It's ok, I agree totally with you," I reply.

"Yea me too, it's totally cool John," chimes Alice.

"So, the main reason I wanted to come here to talk was to tell you a bit more about myself as it pertains to this case," he takes a big sip of his beer.

"You sure you want to go there O'Connell?" says Camron.

"It's cool Shaw, it would make things much more clear if they knew,"

"If you don't want to talk about it, it's ok," I say to him softly.

"No, it's ok, I want to tell you guys," he takes another sip of his beer, "It all began 10 years ago. I was 29 and I had been married to my wife, Melanie for a hair under 5 years and we were expecting our first child. She was my everything. No other woman ever came close to what she gave me. She was my rock, my other half, my queen. At the time, I was working as an electrician for my older brother's company making very good money. Sure it was hard work, but I had a baby on the way and had to focus on providing for my family," I notice his eyes start to glaze over, "One day, we were working at a job site about 2 hours away, some big mansion outside the city by the coast. I had checked my phone briefly to see what time it was and noticed there was a text from her. It simply read, 'Call me when you get a sec 3.' We were so busy I decided to call her when I went on my break. 3 hours later I got a call from the police telling me there had been an accident at my home, that my wife had been shot. Words cannot describe the thoughts that went through my head at that time. I ran to my brother's truck and sped home. When I got there, there were cops, firetrucks, ambulances and yellow tape everywhere. There were men with CSI jackets and cameras, police, on-lookers, then the atom-bomb; the coroner's van was pulling up. I ran to one of the policemen, shaking like a wet dog, 'What happened?! Where's my wife?!' I demanded. '_Are you Mr. O'Connell?_' he asked. 'Yes goddammit! Tell me what happened!' He looked over at the other officer before responding, '_Mr. O'Connell, your wife has been shot. She was alive when we arrived on the scene, however,_' he paused. I grabbed his shoulders and shook him, 'HOWEVER WHAT!? WHAT?! WHERE IS SHE?!' I was in complete disarray. '_The EMT just called the time, she didn't make it. We did all we could to save her. I'm so sorry,_' And just like that my world came crashing down. I fell to my knees and started to pound the ground. 'Where is she?! I want to see her,' I demanded. The officer helped me up and walked me over to the ambulance. As I turned the corner around the rear tire, I saw the stretcher; the white sheet covering her was soaked in blood. I reached over to the top of the sheet and peeled it back slowly. There she was; my beautiful wife; shot in the head, chest and leg. Her golden blonde hair completely drenched in her own blood. I just cried out in agony as I caressed her face. 'I'm so sorry baby!' Just then I heard Melanie's father's voice from behind me. '_John! John, what happened?_I' I looked back a him and looked back to Melanie. '_Oh no not my baby girl! No! NO!_' Then I over heard the police radio, '_We got the suspect cornered in an abandoned house on Rose Avenue; requesting back-up to 102 Rose Avenue; all available units; suspect believed to still be armed; proceed with caution._' That's all I needed to hear. I turned on my heel and walked back to the truck. The adrenaline was pumping through my veins so hard I thought I was going to explode. I could hear my father-in-law shouting my name through the pounding but I kept moving. I started the truck and drove the 5 blocks to Rose Ave and saw all the cop cars. I pulled up at the end and parked the truck. I grabbed my brother's pistol from under his seat and went around behind the neighboring house. As I made my way to the back door of the abandoned house, a police officer stopped me, '_Where you think you're going son?_' he whispered. 'That bastard killed my wife and baby, I wanna know why,' he looked at me and shook his head, '_I can't let you do that,_' I raised my gun up next to my face, 'You wanna stop me, you're going to have to shoot me,' and with that I turned away from him and proceeded into the house. '_Who's there!?_' said the man. 'It's the husband of the woman you just murdered! Show yourself you coward!' Just then he laughed, '_Haha. John. Why am I not surprised you showed up,_' 'How do you know my name?' I was completely lost at that point. Then a shadow came out from behind the door frame before turning to me. When I saw his face, I knew exactly who it was; Benny Jameson; Melanie's ex from high school. He was abusive towards her. Every time he was arrested, his lawyer daddy got him off with warnings and shit. She had filed a restraining order when she finally broke it off and she moved halfway across the country to escape him; unfortunately, he found her. 'Why Benny? Why'd you do it?' he just stood there with a sick twisted smile on his face, 'WWHHYYY?!' I screamed. '_If I couldn't have her, noone can,_' No sooner than he said those words, he lifted the pistol to his head and pulled the trigger. Just like that. No justice. No happy ending. He had taken everything from me and took the coward's way out," he was completely broken down at this point. I didn't even know what to say. I look over to Loki and Alice who were equally stunned.

"John - I - I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry. That is just awful," I say to him as a tear streams from my eye. I am totally taken back by his story. I am at a loss for words. I look over at Alice who is just shaking her head with her hand over her mouth.

"Thanks guys," he sighs hard, "It was very hard for me after that. My entire world had been turned inside out. But I wanted to try to be strong; for Melanie. After that happened, I joined the force. That's when I met Camron. He's been there for me from minute one. He's helped me through my darkest hours. He even moved in with me for a while just so I wasn't alone to stew in my dark thoughts. He's a true friend," he says as he bumps Camron's shoulder.

"That's just the way I am. I am there for my friends and family no matter what the cost," replies Camron.

"Same here. I would do anything for Alice, known her my whole life," I say as I smile to her.

"Aww thanks girl," she replies.

"I knew becoming a cop was the right choice. I wanted to help people. I wanted to try my hardest to make sure that stuff like that doesn't happen again. It wasn't fair what happened to Melanie. Her ex had slipped through the cracks of our penal system and she and my unborn child paid the ultimate prices," his head sinks into his hands.

"I can't even begin to imagine what that must have been like for you," I reply.

"That's why I feel so strongly about this case. It sounds all too familiar. I would hate to see him slip through and something happen. I promise you guys, anything and everything I can do to make this work, I'll do it,"

"John we greatly appreciate everything. You have no idea how much it means to me knowing you are dedicated to upholding the law," chimes Loki, whom had been quiet most of the night.

"Hey, knowing Raven has a guy like you around is pretty comforting; 'specially after how you handled those two last time," replies John.

"That goes without saying. I'd do anything to protect Raven and Alice," he says as he pulls me close next to him.

"Aww Loki. Nice to know I have a bodyguard," says Alice as we all laugh.

"So now you all know my inner termoil. Not a day goes by that I don't think about what happened. I know Melanie would want me to be happy, but it's so hard; I miss her so much," he shakes his head.

"But you said it before, Melanie would want you to be happy; to find someone new and start a new family and be happy again," says Camron.

He sighs, "I don't know, I guess you're right; but who? I mean, shit, I'm pushing 40 and I'm not getting any younger," he laughs a bit, which is good since he had been so sad this entire time.

"Well, if I'm not being too invasive, my mother is single, and a wonderful woman at that. I'm sure she'd love to meet you," I noticed John's eyes perk a bit at my admission.

"Really? I don't know, it's been so long since I've 'dated'," he replies.

"Hey, give it a shot. You are a great guy and you deserve to be happy," chimes Camron.

He relents to the notion, "Alright I guess. Gotta try at some point, right?" he takes the last sip of his beer before signaling to Janelle to bring another.

"I'll give her a call tomorrow and set something up from there,"

"Thanks Raven. Means a lot to me to just share my story and have people around me that want to help and be there for me; makes me feel great," he says with a warm smile.

"No problem John. You're alright too," I say with a big smile.

The night continues on with more drinks and stories. It was a good day and now so much makes sense. Hopefully things will only get better from here.


	12. Demons and Revelations

/ / Ok so hope you all are still with me. Again sorry if the last chapter was at all choppy. This chapter, however, will be a wee bit darker; the beginning anyways. As you all know that have been following the story from the beginning, I have completely strayed from Loki's traditional evil and snake-like behavior in favor of a more loving, and empathetic Loki. This chapter though, his demons catch up with him... enjoy

Raven: Regular  
Loki: **Bold**  
ESP: _Italic_

**It has been six months. Six months since the events that led me to Midgard that warm summer night. Six months since I met and fell in love with my beautiful Raven. Six months since it all began.**

**A lot has happened. More than I can hope to remember. So many beautiful memories; fun memories; happy memories. Yet as I lay in Raven's bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling the warmth from the heater enveloping us, I am reminded of the terrible truths that still lurk in the shadows; poised ready to do their worst. It has also been six months since Tim's violent rampage and since John informed us of the dismissal of his charges at the hands of his ruthless aunt. Although, thankfully, we have not heard from him nor seen him, that doesn't change the fact that at any moment he could attempt to make good on his promise to harm her again. **

**Despite all that has gone on here, it has still been six months since Thor brought news of Odin and the Jotun attack on Asgard. It has been most troubling for me that Thor had yet to return. Not only did that mean father has not awoken yet, but it could yield worse things. Did the Jotuns attack again knowing Odin was neutralized? Had something happened to him? To Thor? Any number of horrible scenarios go through my head and clash and collide like Bilgesnipe. I will not tell her, but there have been many nights since Thor's visit, that I have found myself unable to sleep. I awake in the middle of many a night thinking I can just whisk her away with me to Asgard and see what has been going on. The realization that I cannot, pains me even more, making it completely impossible to fall back asleep. It also pains me knowing that at any moment, I would have been able to move about between Asgard and Midgard as I pleased, but now, cannot. Thankfully, I am in a happy place, but it doesn't dismiss my longing to know what has transpired in Asgard in my absence. I have to try to focus on what I have control over. What's going on here and now is all I can be held accountable for. **

**I quell my thoughts for a moment and turn to look at Raven, who is sleeping peacefully with her back to me. The dim light from the moon shines on her bare shoulders revealing her perfectly tanned complexion. By the gods I love her so much. I never thought I would be able to fall in love again. After feeling the heartbreak of losing Lina, I never thought it would be this easy. Then it occurs to me; Lina. My dear Lina. I loved her so much. Yet, still, I was able to let Raven in so quickly. It has always been said that all the magic in the universe cannot come close to the effects love can have on one's being; that when you find it, you are powerless to stop it. Still, even having fallen in love with Raven, I still think of her. Where was she sent? Is she ok? Did she meet someone too? Again, a hundred thoughts go through my head. I wish I could at least know just a little information about how she is; but how? Thor told me Odin swore Heimdall to secrecy. *Sigh* I must come to accept that there is no way of knowing. I look over at the blue-lit clock on Raven's nightstand; 4:30 am. My mind is way too restless to try to go back to sleep at this point. I phase out of the bed into the kitchen as not to wake up Raven. I walk over to the living room to the fireplace. The smoldering embers from last night still glowing a dull orange-red. I open the glass door and throw 2 pieces of wood into it and move the poker about to get the fire started again. As I stare at the fire trying to kick-start itself, I am reminded of the grander fireplaces in the palace. The one in my chambers was particularly large. Then it hits me like a punch to my subconscious. I am reminded of my false home. The room that was said to be mine for so very long, belonged, in fact, to a cold heartless monster; the very same I had been raised to hate and fear. NO! I will not allow myself to relive that painful memory. **

**I walk back to the kitchen and grab a glass from the cabinet and fill it with cold water from the fridge. As the cold liquid streams down my throat, I cannot shake the thoughts that have started to rear their ugly heads from the darkest recesses of my mind like venomous serpents. They are cunning predators, stalking my consciousness as their prey. Up until this point, I have only been actively angry at Odin for banishing me for my love for Lina. However, there is another misdeed of my 'father's' that I am more angry about; STILL angry about; him trying to turn me into his proverbial chess piece. The memories, at this point, have overwhelmed my consciousness and now, and I am truly driven mad. I still remember that day clear as crystal. The moment when I picked up the chest and turned into my true form. I looked down at my hands as they turned from a pale skin tone to an ominous blue, etched with deep running lines. It was like a knife in every organ in my body. Knowing that I had been lied to my entire life and led to believe I was someone I wasn't, even for a god as powerful as myself, it felt like the weight of Asgard itself had fallen upon me. "Stop!" he cried out from the door. That fool! The anger only enveloped me further. "Am I cursed?" I replied with all my conviction. "No," he feebly replied. "What am I?" I wanted to hear him say it! "You're my son," he lied. When I finally turned and my red, glowing eyes met his, blue skin in full view, it was the angriest and saddest I had ever been up to that point. The man I had grown to know as father was, in that very instant, no more to me than a liar and a thief. "What more than that?!" I growled. I gave him one last chance to reveal the truth to me by admitting the casket wasn't the only thing he took from Jotunheimen that day. He tried, even then, to continue to lie to me, saying he took me because I was an innocent casualty of a senseless war; that I was nothing more than an abandoned infant. I knew before he even finished his sentence, he still was lying. Then came the ultimate revelation. He revealed that I was in fact Laufey's son; the son of the king he had slain mere hours prior; the son of the king of the monsters. Shock enveloped my mind like a brewing storm. I still wanted to hear the whole truth so I quelled the notion and pressed on. "No, you took me for a purpose, what was it?" I snarled, demanding he tell me what I already knew to be true. Still he stood there and said nothing. "TELL MEEEE!" I shrieked as the anger and sadness ripped me apart from the inside out. My voice echoed through the vault with such force, I could feel the vibrations of the echoes through my boots. He told me he thought he could bring about a truce with the Jotuns; through me; his personal pawn. I couldn't have felt like less of a son; less of a man; less of anything; than right there in that moment. All my suspicions had been verified. I felt like the other pieces in the vault, just another stolen relic; my true identity, locked up, until Odin had use for it. Even in that moment after I screamed at him, the look on his face still conveyed a sense of justification; like nothing was wrong. After hearing it from his own lips though, my anger turned to sadness, pure, unbridled, sadness. **

**It felt like nothing they've ever told me was true. They told me they loved me; it was a lie! They told me I was their son; it was a lie! They told me I was a member of their family and nothing could change that; THAT was lie! There had always been indications that seemed, off-putting. The fact that Odin and Frigga always seemed to favor Thor, for one. Now, granted, I had always attributed it to him being the older son, which would make sense, BUT there was always something strange about it. He always seemed to get the best of everything. They tried to keep things equal, but I was very keen on noticing his 'leg-up' on everything we shared. Everything from toys as children, to combat training in our teens, to weapons when we matured. Odin felt that with all my powers and gifts, I would have no need for a powerful weapon, so Mjolnir was given to Thor; and a powerful weapon it was indeed. Then, came the last display of favoritism; they gave Thor the throne! Him! As hot-headed and arrogant as he can be sometimes, they still saw fit to give him the throne after Odin steps down. Now it all made sense. They couldn't bare the thought of having a Frost Giant sitting on the throne of Asgard! To be honest though, I never wanted the throne. Having seen what Odin has to tend to constantly, it seemed more trouble than it was worth. I only ever wanted to be Thor's equal in my 'parents''eyes. Argh! The thought alone enrages me further! The anger and pain well up inside of me and explode without hesitation and with out even realizing it, I've thrown the water glass down to the floor. The glass shatters into a hundred pieces as water flies everywhere. Despite the loud noise, I've found myself unphased as I feel the adrenaline pulsing through my veins. A moment or two pass when I hear the creak of Raven's door.**

**"Babe, are you ok? What happened?" She calls out in the tiniest of voices as she rubs her eyes.**

**"I'm fine!" I snap back at her, still facing away towards the living room. I find myself staring at the fireplace. Not only did my rage destroy the glass, but I also, unknowingly, fueled the fire, as it is now in a complete uproar behind the glass. I peer back at her over my shoulder as I breathe heavy. Her eyes widen instantly as she shudders at the sight of the fire blazing up. She says nothing; and everything. In that very instant, our eyes lock. Like they had a thousand times before, but this time it was different. There was no warm fuzzy feeling. There was a look of sheer horror, shock, and sadness drawn on her face. Her eyes appear to glaze over. She had never heard me yell. She had never even heard me angry except when I encountered Tim. My emotions get the best of me as I respond to her again.**

**"I just want to be left alone right now!" I bellow, shooting an angry gaze over my shoulder at her as my I lean against the island. The words escape my lips at such speeds that if they had been solid, they would have pelted her face. Amidst the sound of my own blood pounding in my head, I hear Raven's soft footsteps retreating into the bedroom and the door creak close. What have I done?! I have snapped at her for no good reason, yet my anger over my own personal issues overwhelms my ability to go in the room and apologize. I press my eyes closed tightly and phase outside onto the sidewalk; I need to clear my head. The cold, fall air blows briskly around my body. Still lost in my own thoughts, I don't even notice it. I look up and the moon is shining its last glow as the sun is now starting to make its way up from the horizon. I run my fingers back through my hair and sigh. I need to get a hold of myself. These thoughts are ripping me apart from the inside out, and in doing so, I've done the one thing I never thought I'd do; make Raven upset by my own doing. I sit down at the edge of the grass pulling my knees up with my arms and plant the side of my face on them. There is complete silence, save for the sound of leaves rustling across the grass. I close my eyes. All I can see is the look on her face. That broken, petrified, deeply saddened look. I can't leave her like that. The thought of her being sad, torments me so. I close my eyes and phase into the bedroom. She is laying there curled up to one of her pillows sleeping; or so I thought.**

**"What's wrong with you?" she whispers to me as my phase has blown her hair about, alerting her to my presence. Her words cut through me like a dagger. As she finishes her sentence, I notice a wave of goosebumps form along her shoulder and arm. Just a simple question has caused her to chill; to go, cold.**

**I sigh,"Raven, I am truly sorry for my outburst before. I haven't been completely honest with you," I try my hardest to say that without making it sound too bad.**

**She turns a bit and peers over at me over her shoulder, "What do you mean?" she asks, still in a defensive tone.**

**"It's nothing bad, its just, well ... Over the last few months, there have been many nights I have not slept. I wake up in the middle of the night constantly. I can't sleep. All I can think of is negative thoughts. I think about Tim, and Asgard, and my father, and Thor. I think about the Jotun attack. That is what gets to me the most. When I think about the attack, I am reminded of that horrible day when I found out who I really was; one of those mindless monsters. The single most horrible moment in my life. When you came out before, all the emotions that I had stifled for so long had erupted in me all at once causing me to lose all control," I roll her more towards me. She still looks away. I run my hand over her cheek; she relents and looks at me. Those piercing green eyes are still sad, "Other than lashing out to my parents, I never really rid myself of the anger that still lurked in me from that day. I regret that you were on the receiving end of it. Can you forgive me darling?" I run my hand down her side and meet her hand. The soft skin of her palm feels so inviting.**

**She repositions herself on her back and turns to me, "Loki, although I will never truly understand what that day meant to you, I empathize with you. I love you Loki and I forgive you. Just, in the future, if you have a problem, you can talk to me. That's what you do in a relationship, you communicate. I will always be here for you; for the good as well as the bad," her lips lunge up to meet mine without a moment's pause. She's back. My love. My goddess. Her lips are billowy soft and feel amazing against my own. I run my hand up to her face and cup her cheek, the tips of my fingers gracing her hairline. She is herself again, alive, and, warm.**

I cannot bare the thought of being distant from him for a moment longer. Feeling the torment emanating from his being, made me want to console him even more. He comes from a different time, a different life, a different world. His problems are the stuff of myths; beyond human comprehension. Still though, I find myself completely enveloped in Loki's pain. His turmoil has become my own. I want to be there for him in every way I know how. I know what it's like to have parental issues, not on that scale, but still scar-worthy nonetheless. I know that here, on this world, I am all he has. As I pull my mouth off of his, I hold his face and look deep into his eyes.

"I love you Loki. No matter what happens, I will always love you and always be here for you," I notice a glaze form at the base of his eyes.

"Raven, words cannot convey my feelings for you. A mere attempt, and I would choke. You are the other half of me that I had been unknowingly searching for my entire life. You are my everything," he says as he pulls at the back of my neck, nestling my face into his chest. I breathe him in and I am lost in his scent.

I pull back a bit giving him a kiss on his cheek, "Come on you, it may be early but we should get up anyway. We have a lot to do," I say to him as I crawl over him over to the door grabbing my robe and throwing it on. Today will be a very busy day indeed.

It's Thanksgiving. The first major holiday with Loki. We're making a ton of food since it will be a full house today. Ben is coming as well as my mother and John. In the six months that have gone by, John has managed to put aside his sadness over losing his wife, and given my mother a chance. She told me all about the first date. She said he was very sweet and kind and everything she wished my father was. She said she wished my father was the way John is and that she was sorry for putting me through all of that as a child. I forgive her and I love her very much. I'm so happy for them; they deserve each other.

I get Alice out of bed and tell her to start working on the turkey since she's good at making it. Loki and I are working on everything else from the stuffing, to the mashed potatoes and everything else. I cannot wait for all of us to sit down and enjoy this big ass meal!

Hours go by and all the food is ready. Now that I smell like a turkey, I retreat into the shower. As I climb in and turn the warm water on, I feel Loki phase in behind me with his arms around my waist.

"Hello my goddess. Care if I join you?" he says with a sly smile.

I smile back warmly, "Not at all love,"

As we share the shower, I cannot help but marvel at him. He is so perfect in every way. I look up at him feeling a wave of emotion crash over me as I wrap my arms around his waist and hold him so tight.

He seems a bit taken back, "My, Raven, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I just love you so much and I wanted to just hold you," I reply.

"My love for you is just as deep, my dear," he wraps his arms around my waist and holds me back. He then pulls back and lifts my chin and plants the sweetest and softest kiss upon my lips.

We finish up our shower and I begin the horrific task of picking out an outfit. I usually don't have trouble, but when it comes to family get-togethers, I want to look my best. I head to my closet and get started. I rummage through nearly everything in there before I come across the perfect outfit! I pull out my tan cross-over blouse, black cardigan, brown skinny jeans and toss them onto the bed. Hmm I need a cute pair of shoes, but I don't have anything brown. I know! I walk into Alice's room and grab her brown knee-high Jessica Simpson boots. I put on my clothes along with all the fixings and head back out into the kitchen. Loki and Alice are dressed and working on the food. As I make my way to the island to set the table, I hear the door open.

"Helloooo?" shouts Ben from the top of the stairs.

Alice's eyes light up at the sound of her twin's calling, "Ben!" She nearly jumps out of her skin. Well, it has been 6 months since she saw him dragging Tim into his truck.

"Hey sis! Urgh I missed you! Happy Thanksgiving!" He runs over to her and picks her up and hugs her spinning her around.

Ben stops mid-twirl as he looks over to Loki, "Hey, I remember you. You were there that night at the campfire weren't you?"

"Indeed I was. You were busy dragging Tim into his truck," he replies.

"Urgh! Yea! That bastard was heavy too!" he holds out his hand, "Ben,"

Loki shakes in response, "Loki. Pleasure to meet you," he looks to Alice, "You never mentioned he was a twin,"

"Ehh it never came up I guess," she replies.

Just then, the door opens again, this time met with the sound of two voice simultaneously, "Heeyy," It's mom and John.

I walk eagerly over to the bottom of the stairs and give my mother a huge hug.

"Hey Raven, how are you? Happy Thanksgiving!" she say warmly.

"I'm great! Hey John! Happy Thanksgiving guys!"

"Hey there Raven," he says as he hugs back. Hard to imagine how everything unfolded and lead to me dating Loki and my mother dating the very cop that arrested my ex. I smirk at the thought.

"Well lets not let the food go cold," I say as I motion to the table set with what Alice and I consider the "good dishes." Actually its just a really nice set we bought at Macy's on sale.

We sit down and I look to my mother as she sticks with her predictable holiday ritual and asks me to say grace.

I stand with my wine glass in hand, "What am I thankful for?" I pause a moment as I look over at Loki and still looking at him, "I'm thankful for my wonderful boyfriend, Loki who has done so much for me over the last 6 months, that I know I will never find the words to say thank you," I look to my mother, "Also I am thankful for my mother coming back into my life. Even though she never 'left,' circumstances had lead us to drift apart. But now I'm glad to have her back. Also I'm thankful that my mother found someone she could spend her time with in John. You've been there for us through my whole ordeal with my ex and despite the dismissal of his charges, I know in my heart that you did everything humanly possible to bring him to justice, and for that I am truly thankful; cheers!" I raise my glass and clink it against the glasses of my family, old and new.

Some time has passed and the feast is fully underway. Not much food has really been eaten seeing as though we are all cackling like a bunch of hens. Amidst all out blathering I notice a flicker of blue light coming from the living room. My heart sinks as I look over and realize it must be Thor. Oh shit! Mom and John!

**I meet Raven's gaze at the portal forming in the living room. Sure enough, Thor appears. I look back to Gina, John and Ben who are all taken back, squinting at the blinding blue and white light form the portal. But at the sight of my brother, they're eyes widen and Gina drops her wine glass and it shatters against the wood floor.**

**"Brother! Good to see you again!" he bellows. He doesn't even realize anyone else. I go to stop him but he continues, "My, look at this feast! Now that I think of it, I am hungry," he walks over to the turkey and grabs a leg and tears into it like a wild dog.**

**"Uhh Thor," I say to him.**

**"Calm yourself, let me finish this," he stupidly replies.**

**"THOR!" I shout with a hesitant smile.**

**"WHAT!?" he shouts in protest; mouth full of poultry.**

**I signal to Gina, John, and Ben who are stunned, wide-mouthed and bug-eyed, "These mortals know not of our, 'origin'"**

**He looks at me and widens his eyes at me, "**

**_Really?!_" he thinks to me.**

**"**

**_Really,_" I reply as I look to Raven and Alice who both have their hands cupped over their mouths.**

**Thor looks around at everyone and with an obnoxious swallowing of his food, he straightens himself out and stands up straight.**

**Gina looks like she wants to say 'what' but her lips only move in a 'W' motion as no words leave her lips.**

**Raven jumps up, "Um mom, John, Ben, there's some things about Loki that you don't know,"**

**They look back at her, not angry, not scared, but curious.**

**"Loki is, not Norwegian. He's not even from this planet, or realm for that matter,"**

**"What the heck are you talking about Raven?!" protests Gina.**

**"Well, you see, Loki here, is the God of Mischief, as depicted in Norse Mythology, and his brother-" she is cut off by Ben.**

**"-Thor is the God of Thunder! They are both princes of Asgard," he adds.**

**"Yes!" she replies.**

**Gina looks overwhelmingly confused, "So what does that all mean, how did he end up here from, wherever, As-gard?"**

**"Well it all happened 6 months ago. Tim and I were camping and I noticed something fall from the sky. When I went over to investigate, I found not some'thing' laying in the crater but some'one'; Loki. He told me he had been banished here for breaking Asgardian law and he was to spend his time here until he was allowed to go back," she explains.**

**"So where's Asgard? Is that like another planet?" She says, completely unsure of the words leaving her lips.**

**"Not really. You see, there are Nine realms in all, think of them like nine different dimensions. Asgard being one them and Midgard, or Earth as we know it. Asgard is home to the very gods and goddesses worshiped by the Vikings; only they're very real, not myth at all,"**

**"This all seems too much to believe Raven, I don't know," she shakes her head as her belief in her begins to wane.**

**I look over to Thor, "I think it's time we reveal our true forms to them," He replies with a nod. I walk over next to him and with a flurry of orange and white light, our Earth attire peels away in scales to reveal our true Asgardian robes. Thor appears in his usual black, blue and silver armor adorned with his flowing red cape and winged helmet; his fist firmly gripped around Mjolnir. My forms turns to my black and green leather garb fitted with gold plates and my gold horned helmet; gold battle staff in hand. There is a palpable silence in the air. John speaks first.**

**"Ya know, I always knew there was something different about you, Loki," he says as he chuckles slightly under his breath shaking his finger, "It wasn't obvious at first, but as time went on I knew there was something off about you,"**

**"Oh yea what's that," Raven says with a encouraging smirk.**

**"Well for starters, I recognized the name. I knew I had heard it before. I just thought someone had named him after him, ya know, people do that kind of stuff all the time now a-days, naming their kids after mythological figures. Then, when I ran his 'ID' it didn't come up in the system, but you had mentioned he was Norwegian, so maybe it wasn't in the system by way of some glitch. Then there was the way he spoke, like he was from a different time period or something, again I attributed it to his 'upbringing.' But where I really started to get suspicious of who he was or could be, was the damage he had done to Tim and James without so much as a scratch to show for it. I knew then that something was off about you; I didn't know what, nor did I believe you were malevolent in anyway, but I knew something was off,"**

**"Your powers of observation as an officer of the law fail you not, John. Altough I did everything in my power to conceal my true identity from everyone but Raven and Alice, I knew in my heart that some were weary of me. I do assure you," I look to their stunned faces, "Despite you knowing the truth about me, this changes nothing; not my intentions, not my being part of this group, and certainly not my feelings for Raven," I say as I reach for her hand.**

**Gina and John look at each other and back to Raven, "Well, I must say that this is the most interesting Thanksgiving dinner I have been a part of; bar none," says Gina with a chuckle and her hands on her hips. We all start laughing.**

**"Not to interrupt, brother, but I've brought news from father," bellows Thor from my right.**

**Raven and Alice stop laughing as they know what Thor means to say.**

**"Well what, spit it out!" I say as I grab the top of his shoulders.**

**"Father has awoken and is in good health. He has requested your presence to discuss your reinstatement," he says with a hearty smile.**

**"You did not mention Raven or Alice did you?" I ask.**

**"I did not. I left that task to you brother. Father did mention that there was another matter he wished to discuss with you but he would not tell me what,"**

**My brow furrows at the notion that the Allfather has something to 'discuss' with me. What could it be but to discuss my return to the ranks. I quell my mind for the moment for the truth will present itself in time.**

**I turn back to Raven, "Well my dear, this is the moment I've been waiting for. I will return to Asgard and tell my tales of my dealings on Midgard. I promise I will return to you when I settle my dealings with my father," I lean down and kiss her on the forehead. I look over at John and Gina, "John, Gina, I must say in good faith, that I am sorry for my deception. I hope you understand my need for anonymity from my true origin. I meant only to spare you the utter confusion that has found itself upon us anyway," I reach for Gina's hand and plant a kiss atop it and shake John's hand. I look back to Raven again, "I love you,"**

**"I love you too Loki," she replies softly.**

**"Take care Alice," chimes Thor as he beams that smile of his found so irresistible by many a woman in the past.**

**"You too, Thor," she coos back.**

**I place my hand on Thor's shoulder and he on mine and we disappear from sight, bound for the Realm Eternal; Asgard.**


	13. This House Is Not A Home

/ / Hey guys! Yep, Loki kinda lost his marbles for a moment there! But hey, could you blame him? Anyways here we are; Asgard; the Realm Eternal. I've been reading alot of other FF's and using their depictions as well as what I remember from the movie plus my own creativity, I hope I do it justice! To quote Samuel L. Jackson in Jurassic Park, "Hold on to your butts!" / /

Note: This chapter's POVs will change slightly since Raven will not be in Ch 13.  
Regular: Frigga  
**Bold:** Loki  
_Italic:_ Loki's dream...

**With a blink of the eye, we're back. Asgard; The Realm Eternal; home to the gods. A world, that no matter how long I've been a part of, still seems to amaze me. I look around and my eyes are met with familiar sights. The Observatory gleaming gold all around. In the center stands Heimdall, the gate keeper and all-seer of Asgard. He stands as stone-still as a statue with his sword, the key to the Bi-Frost, gripped firmly in his hand. His tall figure is covered with heavy gold armor that could intimidate even the most cunning of warriors. His large gold helmet atop his head adds to his intimidating feel as it probably adds a foot of height to him. Lastly, his red and yellow eyes, not your typical Asgardian set, as they can see all that goes on across the Nine Realms. There are very few places across the universe, that his gaze is blind to. I look to Thor who is noticeably happy to have me back home. My smile beams ear to ear as I cannot wait to tell the Allfather of my news as well as to find out what has gone on in my absence.**

**I look up to Heimdall with out-stretched arms, "Heimdall; mighty all-seer; I must say in honesty that I've missed even you,"**

**He looks down at me with only his eyes and a sly smile draws across his mouth, "I have missed you too young prince..." he bellows in the deepest of voices. I smile and turn to walk to our horses, "..missed not having to keep an ever watchful eye on you lest you play your tricks on our fellow citizens,"**

**I turn and shoot him a squinted look, but my newly found humanity sates my urge to bark at his comment, as is my custom, "Oh aren't you most hilarious. Perhaps we should start calling you Heimdall the jester," I reply with a smirk and a laugh.**

**He pauses a moment before responding, "Hmph! Good to see your safe return Loki," he relents.**

**"Thank you," I reply as we leave the room.**

**I look down at the Bi-Frost. It is just as marvelous as ever basking in the glow of mid-day's light. The waves of color pulsing through it like blood through veins; interrupted only by the irregular block pattern. I climb atop my horse, as does Thor and we begin the long trip back to the palace.**

**"So what do you suppose father has to discuss with me that he couldn't tell you?" I ask Thor as we gallop across the Bi-Frost.**

**"I haven't the slightest idea brother. He said it as more of an after thought, but he did seem distracted by the notion. However I couldn't pick up on much of anything else," he replies in just as a confused state as me.**

**"Do you think it has to do with the Jotun attack?"**

**"Perhaps. There's no way of knowing with him, his face can be as unreadable as the ancient scrolls sometimes," he says with a chuckle.**

**I smile agreeing, "Yes, I suppose you're right brother,"**

**We make our way through the bustling streets of the Asgardian marketplace. There is much energy and life here as people are going about their daily routines. Everyone from the cooks selling their finest delicacies, to the blacksmiths bringing their mightiest swords and armor to the light of day, as well as the tailors showing off the latest in Asgardian fashion to the people. As we pass through, I notice a few citizens here and there look up at me; some with warm eyes, and others with apprehensive eyes. Honestly, I cannot blame the nay-sayers, I have played my fair share of pranks and tricks on my fellow Asgardians; some not so harmless.**

**I remember one time in particular. We were in our younger years and Thor and I and a small battalion, had engaged a group of rouge dwarves in battle near the edge of the Enchanted Forest. When we returned victorious, Thor had thrown a party, as he often did after returning from battle. The party was at the peak of it's life and I felt jealous and spiteful, as I did around him in much of my youth. So in my anger I conjured a very large and vicious serpent, simply to ruin his party; unfortunately, my skills as a sorcerer were not as honed as they have since come to be. The serpent served to be more than I could handle by simply trying to reverse the spell. It wreaked havoc on the Great Dining Hall, destroying nearly everything and severely injuring Lady Sif. She had her arm nearly slashed to ribbons by the serpent's dagger-like teeth. It wasn't until Odin showed up, cracking his staff against the floor, did the serpent disappear from view before more damage was done. I realized in that very moment, that something as trivial yet powerful as jealousy, had almost gotten my dear friend killed as well as caused great damage to the very place I called home.**

**Needless to say, though, Odin's punishment was both a burden and a blessing. He had sent me to live, for 3 years, with the sorceress, Karnilla and her apprentice, Haag, in the country of Nornheim. That, in and of itself was no easy task. Karnilla was a ruthless and cunning sorceress. Though, pretty much entirely responsible for my level of skill now, she was very difficult to learn from, as her punishments for getting spells wrong resulted in me being turned into something unpleasant. I once spent 2 weeks as a turkey and she would have Haag chase me around her palace garden with a broom as she sat and laughed. As humiliating as that was, I had to still my silver tongue, as it did me no good against Karnilla. I knew that if I were to protest in anyway, my punishment would be ten-fold. As my time with her grew to a close, I had become just as powerful as her, as I was a very keen learner and took heed to all the lessons she taught me. Again, both a curse, and a blessing.**

**We reach the edge of the marketplace and before us are the gates to the palace. They are enormous! They seem endless as I gaze up at them. They are large wooden barricades with hinges of ornate gold. To either side of them stood two of Odin's palace guards. They were among the strongest of his legion of personal sentries since they were tasked with protecting the main entrance to the palace from any outside threat. Their eyes were all that moved as they saw our approach to which we were met with the opening of the gate. Once inside we were greeted by a flock of hostlers; their life's work was to make sure the horses were kept in the highest regard. The rest of the journey to the throne room was to be on foot.**

**The inside of the palace was impeccable. Tall pillars, stretching almost to the sky, were carved in gold etch-work. Magnificent tapestries, from all reigns, hung all around. The attention to detail was never faltered. As we made our way through, servants and handmaidens made their way through the corridors hurriedly. Never even stopping to make eye contact with Thor or myself. Whether we liked it or not, we commanded a level of intimidation that they always felt, and were always weary of. I simply walked on with a smile on my face as I was just happy to be home; though I wished Raven was here with me, I know, in good time, I'll see her again.**

**We turn the corner at the end of the main corridor and are coming up on the personal chamber's of Thor and myself. Mine is the first to come up, though something is amiss. I stop to look at the large golden door. As I move closer, I notice a large, thick gold chain bolted from the door frame to the door itself. What appears to be a shimmering, glowing aura shines around the chain.**

**I look back to Thor and pointing to the chain, "What is the meaning of the shackles on my chambers' door?"**

**He chuckles a bit, "To keep out prying bodies,"**

**"What do you mean?" I ask puzzled.**

**"Well," he pauses turning away.**

**"What do you mean!" I ask a bit more emphatically.**

**He relents and turns to me, "Well, when Lina learned of your banishment and her own impending exilation, she ran from her home, broke into the palace and locked herself in your room. She conjured a spell to keep the door shut. She was so distraught over loosing you, she nearly destroyed your chambers. She literally had a sorcery meltdown. When Odin dispatched his guards to apprehend her, she had them turned into dogs! After growing tired of her tantrum and having lost 10 guards to her spells, he had to seek the help of Karnilla to get her out of there. It was with her help that they were finally able to banish her!"**

**The look of curiosity across my face turns to disgust, "You lie! First of all, there's no way Odin would have enlisted the help of someone that doesn't consider them self bound by his law. Secondly that sounds nothing like my Lina. Yes, she may have indulged in a bit of mischief here and there with me, but I never knew her to be devoid of reason!" I snarl in reply.**

**"Brother, I would have no reason to be untruthful with you. I was there. I saw the whole thing. Karnilla had to all but destroy your door to gain access to your room. Lina tried to attack Karnilla, but she was no match for her. With a simple raise of her hand, Lina was rendered motionless. Once Odin's guards were restored to their true forms, they bound Lina's wrists. Karnilla had to have a spell placed on Lina's shackles so she couldn't break free of them. I am sorry dear brother, but Lina was completely out of control and could have very well hurt someone had father not put aside his pride in asking Karnilla for help," he says placing his hand on my shoulder.**

**I swat it off, "So she was just bound; like an animal; and dragged off to parts unknown? Is that how it happened?! My love, treated like a mindless beast!" I turn and peer out the window.**

**"Loki, you must understand, there was no other way to subdue her. There was no way of knowing how far she would take her sorcery or how dangerous she might become. Odin had to do what was best for-"**

**I cut him off, "Oh yes! Because father always knows best, right Thor?! That fool was always weary of that which he could not control! There was nothing wrong with her, with our love, yet he saw fit to make an example of us!" My eyes water as the anger wells up once again inside me.**

**"Loki! Stop this! Have you forgotten why you've come back?! You're with Raven now! I know the news of Lina's behavior is a bit overwhelming, but you've dedicated your heart to Raven. If the day comes where you must face Lina, you must be prepared to tell her," he shouts as he grabs my shoulders.**

**I turn and meet his gaze and freeze, "You're right. My darling Raven," I sigh, "I-I, it's just very difficult for me to hear about how Lina behaved. It just didn't seem like her. But you're right, you have no reason to lie to me, so I am sorry for questioning you. WHEN the time comes to tell Lina, as I'm sure she won't be gone forever, I will be sure to tell her the truth,"**

**He pats me on the side of the neck, "Just be sure you're prepared to endure her wrath, as I'm sure she will not take that news lightly. It took the architects 3 weeks to repair and rebuild all that was destroyed in your chambers,"**

**I bury my head in my hand and shake my head, "Oh dear Lina,"**

**Thor strings a half-smile across his face before patting my back, "Come brother, let's speak with father and get this over with,"**

**I nod with lips pursed, "Yes, yes, I supposed we should,"**

**We continue on around the corner and make our way to the end of the hallway to the large throne room doors. Once again, two hulking guards stood on either side of the doors and at our approach, opened the doors for us. Before us is the throne room. It is as intimidating as it is opulent. Odin sits upon the immense golden throne and stood as we entered the room.**

**"Come forward my sons," he bellowed; his voice echoing loudly despite the room's size.**  
**As we walked forward towards the bottom of the stairs, I noticed Frigga standing to the left of the throne. Her face drawn in pure happiness at the sight of my return no doubt. I half-cock a smile back at her. We reach the stairs and kneel to the Allfather.**

**"Rise my sons," he says as he walks down off the platform to us, "Loki. My youngest son. I have missed you so," he gives me a hug and turns to Thor, "Thank you for bringing him home safely to us," Thor simply nods, "So, Loki, no doubt you are anxious to hear the decision of your reinstatement?"**

**"Yes father, I am," a slight sting hits my tongue at the mention of 'father' but I stow the thought.**

**"Very well. You are hereby reinstated as Prince of Asgard, God of Mischief, and are hereby given all rights and privileges back to you that were taken away," with a crack of Gungnir against the ground, my golden staff appears in my hand.**

**I feel whole again; welcomed back into my kingdom; welcomed back by my, family. Then I feel a nudge to my arm, Thor, oh yes, there is more.**

**"Father. If I may speak," I ask humbly.**

**He turns, curiously, "Yes Loki, what do you wish to say?"**

**"I wish to tell you what has transpired on Midgard," I reply.**

**His brow furrows a bit at the thought, "Very well," he say with a wave of his hand.**

**There is no way to ease the notion, "Well, while I was on Midgard, I met and fell in love with a mortal woman,"**

**I hear Frigga's quiet gasp from the corner of the room as I watch Odin's eyes light up in shock, "What?! What is the meaning of this?! I sent you there so that you may learn the error of your ways in breaking our laws, not to fall in love again; with a MORTAL nonetheless," his tongue hisses as he says 'mortal' as if disgusted.**

**"But father-" he cuts me off sharply.**

**"No Loki! This is unacceptable! Your banishment was meant to set an example that our laws must be followed to all extents and no one not even you are above them. I forbid you from seeing this mortal! Have I made myself cle-"**

**I cut HIM off this time, "NO, I will not be swayed by your tongue. You may be king, you may be ruler of these lands, but if you mean to come between my love and me, I can assure you 'father' you will fail,"**

**He puffs out his chest a bit, trying to appear more intimidating as I am challenging him in his own court, "You best still your silver tongue, Loki! It will do you no good here. You're right I AM king and I AM ruler of these lands, and don't think that since you are my son that you will be shown an ounce of leniency!"**

**I tilt my head down, "But I'm not your son; am I?" I look back up at him with piercing hatred in my eyes. His face flinches at my reminding him of the truth**

**"Loki," whispers Frigga from the corner with her hand outstretched. Odin turns to her and shakes his head.**

**"Now is not the time for that, Loki," he says, not seeming confident in his own words.**

**"Oh but it is, always, everyday, like a festering splinter in the back of my mind! Your lies have done their damage and continue to do so, so is it not only fair that I ignore your commands, Odin!" I snarl at him.**

**"Loki, there is nothing I can do to take back the pain I have caused you from my lies; that much is true. But that doesn't excuse you from the laws set forth by not only myself but the ancestors before me," his voice seems to be waning.**

**"Not my ancestors ... Allfather," I hiss.**

**"Loki," pleads Thor tapping my arm. I shoo it away.**

**"Loki, I am growing tired of your defiance. Regardless of how you speak, the law is the law and-" I cut him off for the last time as I have grown tired of his voice.**

**"IRRELEVANT! Despite what the law states, despite what you say, I have fallen in love with this mortal and nothing is going to change that! You can banish me again, imprison me, strip me of my name and of my powers but nothing is going to stop me from following what I know in my heart to be true!" I turn with a snap of my face and storm out of the throne room before he can get another word in.**

**"Loki!" shouts Odin. I keep walking ignoring his voice.**

**"Loki!" this time it's Thor, as he runs after me out of the throne room, barely squeezing through the door as I've slammed it behind me.**

**I stare out the window down to the streets and pound my fist against it, "That arrogant fool! Who is he to tell me how to live, whom to love, after all that he has put me through!"**

**"He is our father Loki!" he replies putting his hand on top of my shoulder.**

**I turn, throw it off and point in his face, "YOUR father! I owe him no parental allegiance whatsoever! But honestly, Thor, where were you in there for me? Why not tell Odin of Alice? You just stood there and kept quiet!"**

**"Brother, then was not the time for me to speak of Alice. The purpose of meeting with father was to discuss you and your dealings. I'm sure, in time, father will come to see the merit in your words," he reassures.**

**"Hmph! And how long do you suppose that will take?! Raven is no immortal you know. I am not going to stand idly by while he mulls around like an oaf!" I huff.**

**"Loki, you know father, he may take time to decide, but you know that he eventually will,"**

**"Hmph, we shall see," I turn and walk down the hall and out to the garden.**

**The garden is vast and full of life. Many a day and night have I spent in the royal gardens to find solace; to find peace; to find quiet. The tall willow trees were always my favorite, especially as a child. They were like living canopies, and I always felt safe. I walk over to the large one next to the pond and sit on the bench. My heart feels like it is about to explode out of my neck for all the anxiety I have built up from yelling at Odin. I just cannot bring myself to excuse his misdeeds at the expense of the here and now; a decision I am sure to regret.**

**"Loki!" shouts a hearty female voice. I know who it is without even looking; Sif.**

**I look up at her as she makes her way to me, although why she is here is beyond me, our 'friendship' was always rocky. When she was younger, she, boldly so, tried to court Thor, and I would always pick on her for it. Needless to say I caught a battle staff to the face a few times for it. But despite our trivial quarreling, I protected her as Thor did; as an equal; a sister even. Out of his close-knit group of friends, I always admired her independence and unflinching ability to prove her worth at all costs.**

**"So I see the rumors are true for once," she says as she sits next to me.**

**"Oh, which are those?" I ask with a sly smile.**

**"The rumors of your return from Midgard," she replies.**

**"Oh, is that all you heard?" I pry.**

**"Well, I ran into Thor before coming out here, who told me you had quite a bout with Odin in the throne room, but that's all I heard,"**

**I look up to her steadily, "I fell in love with a mortal while there,"**

**"What!?" She gasps with a laugh.**

**"I'm serious," I reply sternly.**

**"Oh, I wasn't doubting the truth in your admission. But, honestly, a mortal? What of Lina?" she continues.**

**"Thor told me all about what happened; with her; with Karnilla; all of it. I'm pretty convinced, at this point, she wasn't what I thought she was," My heart stings a bit at the thought of my first love being completely devoid of reason.**

**"Oh. Well, yes, well she did create quite a spectacle around here that day, what with all of Odin's strongest guards running around the palace as dogs. I must say it was quite amusing watching Hogun and Volstagg chasing after them. But despite all that no one was prepared to hear Odin request the help of Karnilla," she says with a laugh.**

**"Yes, well, Odin is no sorcerer. He was outmatched before there was ever a problem. And despite the shaky coexistence between Odin and Karnilla, he wouldn't have sought her out if there was another way," I reply with a huff.**

**"True, but you know Odin never liked having to deal with her, what with her not seeing herself under Asgardian law and all. You know as well as I, that the few times he had to call upon her in any way, always ended with trouble of some kind," she sighs and throws a pebble at the pond.**

**"Oh I know. I hope we don't have to deal with her anymore, she is trouble by all means of the word, I would know," I say as I half-smirk.**

**She laughs nudging my arm, "Yes, we wouldn't want our young prince here turning into fowl again!"**

**I smirk and squint at her while beckoning my hands upwards, "Oh yes, Sif, have your laughs. Perhaps I should turn you into a turkey and chase you with a broom,"**

**She laughs, "Oh Loki," she pats my back, "never lose your sense of humor," she stands and starts to walk away, but stops and looks over her shoulder, "All joking aside, it's good to have you back,"**

**"Thank you," I reply.**

**A few moments pass and I retreat from the garden back into the palace. I make my way to my chambers to find the chain gone, thankfully. I push the large heavy door open and all but fall inside. My room is slightly different then how I remembered it; as I'm sure the architects did their best in restoring my chambers. I walk over to my dresser and place my helmet on it, I feel instantly lighter. I mull around the room with my hands in my pockets, not knowing what to feel at this point. So much has happened in such a short time since my return; the news of Lina; Odin speaking with Karnilla; Odin and I fighting, it is a lot for me to take in at once.**

**I walk over to my bed and fall face first onto it and close my eyes.**

"Fulla, can you come here dear," I beckon out into my chambers from the tub. A flurry of tiny footsteps follow.

"Yes milady?" she replies.

"I wish to wear the purple dress, with the silver embroidery. Would you locate it and put it on my bed for me along with some jewelry to match?" I say pointing to the closet.

"Right away milady," she replies bowing and disappearing out of the washroom.

Fulla is such a sweet and lovely girl. She may look young, but she takes her duty as my head handmaiden very seriously. Even though I have a slew of attendants, I chose her to be my personal one for her grace and respect and unnerving loyalty.

She returns to the doorway to the washroom, "Would you be needing anything else milady?" she asks timidly as she brushes a stray lock of her ice blonde hair.

I smile warmly, "No my dear, that will be all. You may return to your chambers,"

"Have a good night Your Highness," she replies with a smile and a flurry of her crystal blue eyes.

"Good night Fulla," I reply.

She disappears out of the room and I hear my door close as she leaves. I climb out of the tub and grab the blue robe hanging from the wall and wrap it around. As I walk out into the bedroom, everything seems very still; too still. The words of my husband and my son's bout ringing in my ears is all I can here. It pains me when my family fights amongst themselves. I try to remain neutral, but it's too hard sometimes. My duties as queen clash with my duties as a mother, and in turn, as a wife.

As I slide the dress over my head, I think to myself what I am to say to my husband. I always choose my words carefully. I know better then to protest to him in the throne room; it is behind closed doors that he is most receptive.

I make my way down the long hallway to the end where Odin's chambers are. I look out towards the sky and even the stars seem to have lost their luster despite my son's safe return; they even sense something is amiss. I reach his door and the guards regard me opening the door for me.

"Odin?" I call out to the large, dark room, lit only by a few torches.

He makes his way back inside from the balcony, "I'm here my wife,"

I walk over and join him; taking a deep breath of the warm air, "The kingdom seems very still tonight, doesn't it?"

"Hmm, it does indeed," he turns to me, "but I suspect you didn't come here to talk to me about the weather my love,"

I hard press my lips and raise my head a bit, "No. I came to talk about our son,"

"Ah, I see," he replies as he walks to the edge of the balcony.

"Why do you insist on causing him nothing but pain?"

"He must learn, like all Asgardians, that he is not above the law, plain and simple," he hisses.

"Oh and is it that simple? To punish our son for finding happiness, again!?" I snap back.

"You saw what Lina did when he was banished! How can we just as soon trust a MORTAL?"

"I'm sure Loki had no knowledge of Lina's true nature or I'm sure he never would have given her a second look. That's not the point though. We cannot deny him what his heart tells him; it's not right!" I scold.

"ARGH! I have to uphold my duties as king and set an example, even if it's with him!"

"That is not good enough! Put yourself in his place. How would you have felt if Borr told you we could not wed, would you not have been heartbroken?" I scowl.

"That's a different scenario, you were of royal blood,"

I grab his shoulders, "Odin! Do you understand what I am trying to say to you?!"

His expression turns, and he looks to the floor, "I suppose you're right. But it's not as easy as me waving my hand and making it so. I must convene with the council,"

I squint, "You know that could take a long time, is Loki to wait, here, heartbroken and lovesick?"

"Frigga, that's all I can do at this point, it's enough already that I would even request the council's input on this kind of matter," he replies.

I squint and look away to the horizon, "Very well. Then you will be the one to tell Loki, not me," I turn and walk out of his room back to my own.

**I awake to a knocking at my door. I groan as I climb out of my bed and make my way to it. My chambers are dark now, I must have slept for at least a few hours. I pull back the large door to see Odin standing there.**

**"Oh, it's you," I turn and walk back inside and sit on the bench at the end of the bed; barely acknowledging him.**

**"I wanted to talk to you about earlier," he says with a deep breath; as if carefully choosing his words.**

**"Oh, now you wish to talk, before all you wanted to do was scold me like a child, and throw your 'laws' at me as if I should have held them at more value. Well I'm sorry for not obliging you, but my position has not changed," I reply as I look away again.**

**He walks over next to me and sits down, "Loki, let me start by saying I am truly sorry for all the wrong I've done to you. Hiding your true parentage from you was not an easy decision for me to make at the time. But now I see it was the wrong one. I should have told you from the beginning,"**

**"And what of using me as a peace treaty?" I snarl back still facing away.**

**"That was wrong of me too. I was thinking as a king, not as a father, and for that I am sorry my son,"**

**I look at him in my peripheral, his head sunk into his hand, "And before?"**

**He looks up at me, "As a king. Can you forgive me, Loki?"**

**I stand up and walk away a bit, hand wiping my mouth in anguish, "Can I forgive you? Can I? Should I? Perhaps. But how do I know you will tailor your decisions better in the future? How can I be certain?"**

**"Loki, I am doing my best with you. Granted there is much I wish I could change from your past, but the future is all we have now and I want to better our relationship," he says.**

**I turn back to him, "Do you now?" I sigh, "As much as I am weary of those words, I wish them to be true,"**

**He stands and walks over to me, "To prove my valor, I will convene a special meeting of the council to discuss the changing of the law; that any prince or princess of Asgard may consort with whomsoever he or she chooses,"**

**I shoot him a shocked look, "The council?! Those blubbering gas-bags could take weeks to make a decision,"**

**"Loki, this is one rule I cannot break. Whenever a law is to be mended, the council must be consulted, lest I be viewed as a dictator," he explains.**

**I soften my face, "I suppose you're right,"**

**"That being said, you must stay here until a decision is reached, since the law still applies. Letting you go back to Midgard to see this mortal would make me an accessory to your law-breaking,"**

**I squint, "Urgh, fine! Be that what it is!"**

**He carefully places his hand on my shoulder, I just look down at it, "Loki, I will be sure to do everything in my power to change this law for you. If being with this mortal will make you happy and keep you in good graces as my son and Prince of this house, then I am bound to help you. I will inform you when the council has made a decision,"**

**"Very well, father," I say, still with a sting at 'father' but it's different this time.**

**"Have a good night my son,"**

**"Good night father," I reply.**

**He makes his way out and closes the door behind him. I pace trying to make sense of what has just happened. There have been too few times to remember, that Odin relented his kingly duties for his family. It was a rare occurrence as not to display favoritism despite bloodlines, or in my case, names' sake. I'm sure he didn't come to this decision lightly; or alone. I'm sure Frigga had something to do with it; she often does. Being a woman, makes her prone to emotional take-overs when it comes to matters of the queen versus matters of the family. But, if she did have anything to do with Odin's decision to come and speak to me today, I guess it was in my best interest.**

**I make my way over to my closet and pull out a black night-shirt and pants and disrobe my armor. I am so exhausted after all that has happened, my bed looks most inviting. I crawl under the covers and drift off.**

**_All I can see is her face; my love; my Raven. She stands gracefully by the balcony, dressed as an Asgardian royal. She looks beautiful in the Asgardian twilight that barely shines in through my window. Her ink-black hair shimmering from the light of the torches in my chambers. She turns to me and smiles. I smile back in warmth as she makes her way to my bed. Laying down next to me, she looks into my eyes longingly. I kiss her soft, warm lips. They are so perfect._**

_**"Loki," she whispers.**_

_**"Yes love," I reply.**_

_**She nuzzles her head in my neck, "My dear, sweet Loki,"**_

_**I smile, "I love you,"**_

_**"And I, you, Loki ... " she pauses as I caress her face, "Laufeyson,"**_

_**My eyes widen suddenly. Raven knows not my true surname.**_

**I awake in a flurry. My eyesight tries quickly to adjust itself. I can make out a woman with black hair straddled on top of me, but not much of anything else. I rub my eyes and shake my head in a flurry. My eyes focus and my heart sinks as they do; Lina.**


	14. Hel Hath No Fury

/ / Oh yea! So how would you feel if you woke up and your crazy ex-lover was on top of you? Well, Loki doesn't have the luxury of being happy about the notion... So I know alot has been brought to light in the last chapter, some new characters/mentions, hope you're hanging in there. Much will be brought to light in this chapter ... wait and see -V / /

**Bold**: Loki  
Regular: Raven  
_Italic_: Lina  
(...): ESP

**I all but flip over backwards off the bed trying to come to terms with the sight of Lina in my bed; whom has since phased off the bed and is pressed, back up against the dresser. I rub my eyes again as to insure that this is not a hallucination; it's not. Here she is standing in my chambers, staring, not at me, but through me; it is most uncomfortable.**

**"What are you doing here?" I snarl.**

**She furrows her brow and smirks; most likely at the tone I've used to address her, "My love, is this how you are to treat me after all this time we've been apart? I must say I was not expecting such a cold welcome,"**

**"Last I heard, you were a prisoner of Karnilla, seeing as no one else could subdue you after you're little, episode," I reply squinting.**

**She chuckles, odd, "Prisoner eh? I suppose one could call it that. What of you, what have I missed from my dearest Loki?" she says as she runs her fingers along my dresser, trying to be coy.**

**"A lot has gone on since we've last seen each other," I say as I straighten out my shirt and make my way solemnly to the balcony.**

**"Oh, is that so? Like what? Do tell, love," she replies as she follows me.**

**"Well for starters, I had no idea you would take the news of my banishment the way that you did," I say to her; looking at her through only my peripheral.**

**She lowers her head, not in shame, but with a smirk, "Oh, you heard about that did you? Yes, well, I couldn't very well allow my pain of losing you go unnoticed, now could I?"**  
**I snap 'round and stare dead into her eyes, "So that was your reasoning, was it? You wanted the attention! Why? Why did you need to create a spectacle of yourself at my expense?"**

**"Your expense? How is this about you? I was the one that was heartbroken," she huffs.**

**"And I wasn't?! How can you even suggest that?! Of course I was devastated! But you didn't see me causing destruction across the Nine Realms! And yes, it is about me, since I've been back, it has been proven to be impossible to convince anyone that I had no knowledge that you were crazy," I scream.**

**"Funny, you don't seem upset. And, your troubles with your needing to prove yourself, are not my problem. If you loved me, you would be defending me, not trying to PROVE I'm crazy!" she taunts.**

**"Speak for yourself! I find your utter lack of empathy towards the whole situation to be most unsettling! If YOU loved ME, you would not have behaved that way, plain and simple!" I turn back round and stare into space.**

**"I believe I was justified! I love you and I felt the way I did because of it! They had no right to treat me the way they did afterwards," she shouts, waving her arms about.**

**I turn again, this time grabbing her shoulders, "Lina, you broke into the palace, broke into my chambers, locked the door and proceeded to have a meltdown, how, is that, JUSTIFIED!?"**

**She looks away for a moment, her eyes start to tear up, she looks back and tugs at my shirt, "I couldn't stand the thought of losing you. It overwhelmed me in a way I could not control, I love you,"**

**My hands leave her shoulders at the mention of those three words, "I ... don't, Lina, not anymore," and with that I feel her slap me across the face, hard.**

**"What?! What do you mean, not anymore?! What has happened to you in such a short time that has driven your love for me away?!" she screams hysterically.**

**I take a deep breath as I collect myself, "First of all, I did not deserve that. That's exactly the type of behavior I want no part of. That is not love, that, is madness. Second," I must tell her the truth, "I no longer am in love with you because I am in love with someone else,"**

**No sooner than me finishing that sentence, did I feel the air around me go still, quiet. It was as if time itself stood still. I look over at Lina, her face went from anger to shock, pure, stoned, shock.**

**"Someone else?" She turns and looks away, running her hand through her hair and shaking her head, "Surely you must be joking?"**

**"Why would I joke about something like that?" I can sense her pain, I need only look into her eyes, which have since glazed over and look lifeless.**

**She turns back and purses her lips, "Who is she?"**

**I take a deep breath, "She is a mortal woman,"**

**"WHAT?! Are you- how could you- why- a MORTAL?! And you think I'M crazy?! Clearly you're the one who's lost your mind! You've fallen for a lesser life-form!" She shouts as she flails around my chambers.**

**I stand my ground, "Say what you will Lina, but that is the truth! I was banished to Earth and I was taken in by a mortal woman and I fell in love with her, there's no other way to say it,"**

**"How can you do this to me?! After all we've been through! And with a MORTAL? URGH I cannot get over that! What did Odin have to say about this, huh?!" she wails, with her hands on her hips.**

**"Needless to say, his reaction was much the same as yours," I reply.**

**"As well it should be! This is crazy Loki! How do you expect to carry on your 'relationship' with this mortal, the law forbids it, remember?! How do you think we ended up here in the first place?!" she says with a sly smile, now she's really going to lose it.**

**"After speaking with Odin, he has agreed to convene the council and have the law changed," I reply. At this point my heart is racing, as I know I am now treading very, dangerous, water.**

**Her face stretches a look of pure disgust as well as shock as her jaw all but hits the ground, "And let me guess, this decision was made so you can consort with your little mortal whore as you please? Am, I, right?!" she snarls.**

**My face gets hot at the mention of Lina calling Raven a whore, "Still your tongue woman, she is no whore! You have no right to say anything on the subject!"**

**Just then I notice Lina's eyes go red and all of a sudden I cannot breathe, I look over and see her hand in the air as if she is choking me. I raise my hand to try to counter her magic, but, shockingly, I am unsuccessful. Now, I am terrified, "No, you still YOUR silver tongue, foolish Prince. You know, there was so much I wanted to tell you about what went on behind your back, but now, I think they're best unsaid, wouldn't want to spoil all the fun we're, erm, I'm going to have," she walks over to me and puts her mouth next to my ear and whispers, "If there's one thing I can say is certain, my love, it's that you will regret this night, I promise,"**

**Just then there is pounding on my door, Odin's guards. She looks towards the doors and in that split second, loosens her grip and I shove her across my chambers and make a break for the door. She looks up from the floor and raises her hand again and I stop in my tracks, mere inches from the doors.**

**"I'll be seeing you very soon, Loki," she says emphatically as she vanishes in a flurry of orange and white light.**

**As she disappears, I fall into the door and drag them open from the floor. I try desperately to regain my breath a midst the deep, bellowing coughs escaping my throat. Odin's guards scramble to pick me up. As I stand and regain my bearings, I see Odin and Thor outside the door making their way towards me.**

**"Brother, what happened?!" Shouts Thor at the sight of me being picked up off the floor.**

**"Lina snuck into my room and attacked me! She all but lost what was left of her mind when I told her about Raven!" I reply rubbing my throat and coughing, still.**

**"That's not all Loki," Chimes Odin.**

**I turn to him, "What do you mean?"**

**"Well a midst our bout earlier, I didn't get a chance to tell you what I needed to tell you. For starters, we had learned that Lina had escaped from Karnilla's custody. Heimdall was unable to see her because she was concealed by, no doubt, a powerful spell conjured by Karnilla. We knew that she would attempt to seek you out at all costs, she obviously did,"**

**Now my head is spinning, "How was she able to 'escape' Karnilla? She could have very easily found her and turned her into stone if she wanted to,"**

**"That's what we'd like to know," Replies Thor.**

**"It's not going to be at all easy to learn the answer, son. I don't want to interact with Karnilla unless it's absolutely necessary; how Lina escaped is not a warranted reason,"**

**I look to Thor, who scowls. Odin is right, though. Karnilla is to be avoided at all costs unless a dire situation arises.**

**"How did you know she was here now?" I ask Odin.**

**"Heimdall informed me that when Lina slapped you, it caused her cloaking spell to momentarily transfer to you. So, when you vanished and reappeared in such a strange manner, we knew it had to be her," he replies.**

**"It all makes sense now. Lina was always one for physical contact. She would always caress my face, or hold my hand, anything. She loved that. She knew she had to keep her distance from me lest she reveal her methods. The news of another woman, however, would have been enough to drive any woman to violence; Lina was no exception,"**

**"I am so sorry brother. I can only imagine how hard this all must be for you," Thor chimes putting his hand on my shoulders.**

**I look to him practically cross-eyed as I rub my neck, "I, literally, have no idea what to think right now. I come home expecting a warm welcome and instead get into a fight with you," I point to Odin, whom scowls a bit, "find out my ex has completely lost her mind and then get attacked and threatened by her. Oh yes, one could say today is certainly one for the archives!"**

**Thor smiles, "Well as long as you are ok, that is all that matters. Lina will turn up again, I'm sure, it's definitely not that last we've seen of her,"**

**"In the meantime, I am ordering this palace to be on full lock-down. I am tripling the amount of guards; no one in or out until Lina is caught,"**

**I huff a laugh, "Lock-down? I know Lina is a bit off her bearings right now, but do you really think that's necessary?"**

**"She attacked you, Loki; a most grievous offence! I wouldn't have expected you to object, seeing as though she almost choked the life from you," he replies.**

**I rub my neck at the mention, "True, but she was mostly reacting to the news of Raven, the actions of a jealous ex-lover, nothing more,"**

**"All the more reason to consider her most unpredictable and extremely dangerous! There's no telling what she might do now that her heart is set ablaze," He shouts.**

**I sigh, he may be right, but I am still very sour to it all, "Wonderful! So, not only am I stuck in Asgard until the council reaches a decision, I am also confined to the palace as well; GREAT!" I shout as I throw my hands in the air and head towards the dining hall; I may not have much of an appetite right now, but I could go for some wine.**

**As I make my way to the hall, I already feel intoxicated. My head is spinning so fast, it's throttled! I can usually count on myself to be pretty accommodating when it comes to handling difficult situations, however, this time, I feel myself coming up, very short. It seems to have become my lot in life to find out that the things I hold dear to me, turn out to be anything but what they appear.**

**I head inside and plop down hard in the nearest seat at the head table. My forehead makes a prominent thud which echoes through the hall with ease; I do not want to move at this point. I feel a tap to my shoulder to which I respond by practically doubling out of my chair. It's Bastian, the head chef.**

**"Your Highness, I-I-I'm sorry if I startled you! I-I had no idea you were coming. I have nothing prepared right now, I'm terribly sorry-" he scrambles nervously as I cut him off.**

**"Bastian, it's alright. I wasn't planning on coming here so it's no fault of yours," I say reassuringly.**

**His face loosens, "Well then, can I get you anything? Whatever you like, just name it,"**

**"Not really hungry, just bring me a goblet and a jug of wine, a large goblet," I reply with a laugh.**

**He smiles, "Absolutely Your Highness, I'll return with that for you,"**

**He comes back quickly with an ornate silver goblet and a large jug of wine. "Will that be all Your Highness?" he asks.**

**"That would be all Bastian, you may retire if you'd like, I'll be ok here by myself,"**

**He bows his head slightly before making his way out of the hall. I pour myself a goblet and make short work of it. Its been far too long since I've indulged in the drink, now is as good a time as ever. I down another 8 goblets before I start to feel the effects. It is not in my nature to drown my problems with alcohol, its more Thor's character, but tonight is different, I need this. The events of today have taken a serious toll on me. What to make of all this? I have no idea. Nothing is coming to mind. I once again throw my arms on the table followed by my forehead.**

**I hear the hall door creak from behind me. I instinctively reach for the jug of wine, which is half gone, and lift it up a bit, "I still have wine left Bastian, thank you,"**

**"Loki, by the gods, are you drunk?!" bellows Thor with a laugh.**

**Still with my head buried on the table, "Wouldn't you be? That was a lot to take in in one day!"**

**I hear Thor pick the goblet up off the table, "Did you tell Bastian to get the largest goblet, or did he assume to?" he chuckles.**

**I slowly lift my head, "I did. I wasn't going to settle for the common goblets. I wanted to get as drunk as I could, as quickly as possible,"**

**He drags a chair over and sits backwards in it, "Loki, it's not like you to turn to the bottle; I'm worried. Can I do anything to help?"**

**I half-cock a smile, "I'm afraid not. Some demons can only be slain by the ones who keep them. If I am to get through this, I have to do it alone. Although knowing I am home and have support, is reassuring,"**

**"I am still worried. It's been ages since I've seen you drink so much. You are right though, I would probably be exactly where you are right now if it were me,"**

**I look at him, well, as straight as I can, "How am I supposed to handle this? I am terrified of what Lina might do now. This woman I had fallen in love with, looked as though she would kill me tonight!"**

**He raises an eyebrow and cocks a smile, "Even someone such as yourself should have known better than to cross a woman's heart; a sorcerer's nonetheless,"**

**I finish another full goblet, "If you were me, what would you have done? Would it have been so easy to ignore what your heart was telling you? And then given all that has since come to light, I'm positive that that would have only affirmed the notion, right?"**

**His face softens as he lets out a sigh, "I suppose you're right brother,"**

**I laugh as I slam the goblet down and wine splashes out, "Ha! Of course I'm right!" I don't know why, but I am laughing; I guess that's good, considering.**

**Thor walks over and takes the jug from me and slides it down the table. I reach out my arms across the table in protest before once again slamming my head on the table, "I think you've had enough brother, come, you should get some sleep,"**

**"Urgh!" I groan.**

**"Come onn," he insists.**

**"How did I know I'd find you here?" Calls out Odin as he makes his way into the hall.**

**"Urgh," I mumble again.**

**"Is he drunk?" Odin asks.**

**"Very," replies Thor.**

**"Oh dear. I had some more news for him but I suppose it can wait,"**

**I reach out and grab Odin's arm, since I knew where he was standing by the sound of his voice, "No, tell me now,"**

**"Are you sure you don't want to wait until you've sobered?"**

**I raise my head and look at him, "I'm sure whatever you have to say will make me want to drink more, so best to do it now while I'm already drunk,"**

**He looks to Thor and back at me, "Very well," he sits down next to me, "I received a very disturbing report today from one of the guards posted in the old tunnels beneath the palace," he pauses and sighs, "he informed me that the day of the Jotun attack 6 months ago, he remembers Lina being in the tunnels just before the attack took place. He said he remembers her coming up to him and then he blacked out,"**

**I pause, frozen by what I have just been told. I thrash my arm out knocking the goblet of wine off the table in pure anger, "No! No! I won't believe it! Lina being a bit off her bearings is one thing, but this, is TREASON!"**

**Thor places his hand on my shoulder to calm me, "Father, why did the guard wait so long to tell you?" he asks.**

**"He said he only now remembered. His memory must have been dampened by a spell no doubt,"**

**I push the chair back from under me and bury my head in my hand, "I still don't believe it!"**

**"There's more Loki, perhaps you should sit back down," pleads Odin.**

**I look to him with an exhausted look, "No, I think I'll stand, just get it over with, no reason to stop now,"**

**"One of our spies in Nornheim informed me that," he pauses and sinks his head a bit.**

**"TELL MEE!" I scream.**

**He looks back up at me, "A few years before you two began your affair, Lina was caught trying to rob one of Karnilla's convoys. After realizing how strong Lina's powers were, Karnilla offered to spare her life in exchange for her servitude. Karnilla knew that if she did anything to attack Asgard directly, it would mean all out war. So, she used Lina, to get to you, to learn Asgard's secrets, and exploit them. Lina has been working with Karnilla the whole time. I am so sorry my son,"**

**I stop dead in my tracks. I can feel the anger and sadness welling up in me like a volcano. I pick up my chair by the leg and throw it with all my might clear across the room. It hits the wall and shatters.**

**"AAAARRRRGGGHHHH!" I scream to Odin, who, closes his eyes in sadness.**

**I turn and storm out of the hall and throw the doors open with such force, one of them unhinges and is now dangling.**

_I hear nothing. Nothing but the sound of my own heart beating slowly under the warm water. I open my eyes and I can still see red. Not from the dull glow of the torches, but from the hatred and anger I feel towards Loki. I am still reeling from his admission, 'I no longer am in love with you because I am in love with someone else.' I can't bring myself to believe what he said is true. Despite my service to Karnilla, I still found myself in love with him. I did the one thing she told me not to do. I was meant to lead him to believe I was in love with him, not actually fall in love with him. But what to do now? My heart has been shattered by my own doing! It's my own fault for letting him in! Argh!_

_I slowly raise my head out of the tub, but not completely. My eyes are all that breach the surface as I contemplate my next move. Then it hits me; I know what to do! I will cause him the very same pain he caused me. I slowly climb out of the tub and make my way to my closet and throw on a black dress and my black hooded cloak and pin my hair up with some ornate clips._

_I look around annoyed for my handmaiden, "Anora!"_

_She scurries from around the corner like a frightened mouse, "Yes milady?"_

_"Go to Karnilla and inform her that I am coming down there to discuss an important matter with her,"_

_"Right away milady," she says as she bows frightfully and makes short work of the distance between her and the door._

_I pace back and forth in thought. What to do to hurt him? Ha! I know! I know EXACTLY what to do to get to him! And there'll be nothing he can do to stop me!_

_I make my way through the halls to Karnilla's throne room. With the exception of a few torches, the halls are very dark, and hard to navigate unless one has many times._

_I throw the doors open with just enough force to allow me to pass. I see Anora making her way hurriedly back from in front of the throne room. She does not make eye contact with me as she breezes passed me. Pathetic little welp! I reach the bottom of the stairs below the throne and drop to one knee._

_"Rise my ward, there is no need to humble yourself; you've done enough to prove your loyalty," says Karnilla as she shifts a bit in her seat._

_Karnilla sits in her throne as an elegant evil. Her presence is both marvelous and haunting. A black, jagged crown sits atop her tightly wound blonde hair. A tight and ornate golden gown, hugs her beautiful figure. It is a far cry from her usual darker wardrobe, but make no mistake, she commands an equally ominous presence in this._

_"I have come to discuss a very important matter with you, well, it's of great importance to me," I say freely._

_"What do you have to say Lina?"_

_"Well, as you know, I made contact with Loki; needless to say, it did not go as we had planned,"_

_"Oh? How so?" She asks._

_"Well, turns out, while Loki was banished on Midgard, he was taken in by a mortal whom he subsequently fell in love with,"_

_"Ha! What a foolish man! A mortal?! Even for Loki, that's a bit far-fetched!" She responds in sheer disbelief._

_"Believe me milady, it is true. I wish it weren't though," I reply as I lower my head._

_"Oh Lina, are you forgetting the original plan, you were meant to lead him on; to make him think you love him, not actually do it!" She scowls._

_"I know! But I can't help what has since happened! Plus, we can still use this to our advantage!" I shout._

_"How?" she inquires._

_"By destroying the one who holds his heart now, he'll be forced to cope with it. It will cause him to lose what's left of his weak mind and render him unable to counter another attack! Plus he's already distraught over finding out about my behavior in his absence; more fuel for the fire, I'm sure," I squint with a smile._

_"So what is your plan, Lina?" She says rubbing her chin._

_"I go to Midgard and kill the mortal woman, thus destroying what's left of his sanity!"_

_She pauses and shakes her head, "Lina, if you are caught, they'll throw you in the dungeon for sure; you're no good to me there,"_

_"But doing this is exactly what we need to shake the God of Mischief from his pedestal!" I shout._

_"No Lina, I cannot allow you to go to Midgard simply to settle a score; a score that has nothing to do with me!" She says as she stands and waves her hands._

_I throw out my fist, punching the pillar and taking a chunk clean out of it, "NO! I WILL go to Midgard and I WILL rip that mortal to shreds! You and I both know this will only benefit us!"_

_She turns and squints at my defiance, "You mean to risk all that we worked for, simply to kill an insignificant spec?!" she turns back away._

_"Absolutely! You know I'm right! If I am caught, so be it! This is worth the risk! Imagine the chaos it will cause!" I plead._

_She looks over her shoulder before chuckling an evil laugh, "Go then. You're right Lina! Go! Do it! Bring back her head and be sure to throw it at his feet! That will be sure to break him to pieces! And when he has completely broken down, open the catacombs again to bring the Jotuns back in! However, if you are caught, you will be on your own,"_

_I smirk, "Oh I will, and I will enjoy every minute of it. And, I won't get caught,"_

_She walks down off the throne and down to me, "(How do you plan to get passed Heimdall?)" She thinks to me._

_"(I've got that covered, milady. The all-seer will never, see, me, coming,)" I think with a sly smile._

_"Very well," she says putting her hand on the side of my neck, "go and do your worst my dear,"_

_I bow and turn to exit the throne room. Despite my love for Loki, my vengeance flows much more freely. I walk now, with a certain emphasis; a certain determination. I am determined to tear his heart to the very shreds he has to mine. He will rue the day he crossed me; that much is certain! If I can't have him, nobody can! I will be sure to make that mortal woman suffer! And the best part is, Loki will be unable to save her, lest he break the law again!_

_I pull the cowl from my cloak up over my head as I hurriedly make my way to the stables and mount my horse. I close my eyes and concentrate hard; conjuring the cloaking spell is not easy. This one will require extra effort if it is to fool the All-Seer. I feel chills all over my body as this spell takes its form. My arms and legs get goosebumps as the hairs stand on end. Even my horse stirs as it envelops her as well. The pale turquoise light spreads across the two of us; a beautiful glow. Now that we are invisible, I can make my way out of Nornheim._

_I make my way through the thick forests at the edge of the city. The air is very still this night; unusually so. It creates an eerie vibe that is felt by not only myself, but my horse as well; who seems very distracted by it. I look beyond the forest's edge at the catacombs, which are now visible up ahead. I look to my left and see the Bi-Frost glowing in the night; my path to revenge. It is a short distance through the catacombs and out to the Bi-Frost which I travel hastily._

_Now comes the moment of truth. As I make my way across the bridge, I can see the Observatory at the end drawing near. I cannot but help to feel a chill as I do not yet know if my cloaking spell has worked. I reach the room and there stands Heimdall with his back to me. He does not move a muscle, not even when I move to his front. His eyes are far reaching into the cosmos. He has no idea I am standing right in front of him. What a relief! I climb down off the horse and walk over to the Bi-Frost key when it occurs to me; I have no idea where to find this mortal. I think to myself for a moment before looking slyly at Heimdall. I must extract her location from him._

_I close my eyes and focus hard. The familiar chill runs from my stomach, up to my shoulders and down to my finger tips as I conjure the extraction spell. Normally I would need only to touch his skin but I don't want to risk any chances of him feeling me poking and prodding around in his head. I open my eyes and look down at my hands, which are glowing a reddish hue, a midst the turquoise glow that still surrounds me. A sly smile draws across my face as I reach up and place my hand on the side of his temple and close my eyes. My head is immediately filled with a thousand images. Images of everyone and everything. Lights, colors, trees, night, day, rivers, animals; there's so much information! I concentrate on looking for Loki and his past where-abouts on Midgard, no doubt that will lead me to hers. I see him! I see him first landing on Midgard that night. I see the mortal now. She is even more revolting than I had imagined! It churns my stomach to see that she even looks like me! I keep moving through the images of them together when I see it. I stop in stoned horror. The scene where they had made love is now before my eyes. The anger is now fully fueled as I see my love, my Loki bedding another woman, this, mortal whore! ARGH! I calm and collect myself and re-focus on the task at hand, I don't want to be attached to him for too long. I reach what appears to be today's events, I see her in front of a building marked 'Bella'. This is where I will find her! I slowly retract myself from his mind and remove my hand from his face. I can feel my eyes on fire at what I have just seen. This mortal will surely pay dearly. I turn the Bi-Frost key and jump into the portal towards my retribution._

_I arrive on Midgard and I immediately hate it! It's a sensory overload in the worst possible way. Everything is horrid, the look, the smell, the taste of the air, the feel of the cold alien snow, and especially the strange sounds that come from the edge of the forest. I put my disgust aside for a while as I focus on the task at hand. I climb off my mare and tie her to the tree, as I know mortals don't move about on horses and I would like to stay unnoticed. I walk to the forest's edge and take a look around at the lesser life forms moving about their pathetic lives. Then I notice their attire; nothing like what's worn on Asgard; even more worthless! I look down at my robes and realize, despite my hatred for them, let alone looking like them, I must to blend in. I close my eyes and my robes begin to scale and peel away to reveal a black corset top, black leather pants, black high-heel boots, and some other worthless accessories. I pick up my hooded cloak and throw that back over and make my way towards the buildings._

It's only been 2 days, and I miss Loki terribly! I can't concentrate on much of anything. Most of it is simply because I miss him, but I'm also worried, who knows what's going on on Asgard. I'm sure that there's a lot I don't know about, who knows. He's very brave and strong, probably beyond anything I know, I'm sure he can take care of himself. Right now I need to focus on work.

It's Wednesday and the late lunch crowd is starting to make their ways in. My section is very manageable for this time of day; two business women having soup and salads, three businessmen having chicken parms and a teenage couple having the '2 for $25' special. The whole restaurant smells of the chicken and gnocchi soup since it's the soup of the day. I've even got a bowl of it for myself in the back that I take bites of here and there between orders. It's so delicious and one of our best sellers. I seat an older couple and take their tea and soup order when I notice the young hostess, Janie standing behind me.

"Psst, Raven," she whispers as she beckons me with her hands; she looks nervous.

"Hey, what's up Janie? What's wrong, you look, flustered," I ask as I place the order in the computer.

"Well, there's a woman up front looking for you, I don't know she's kinda acting weird,"

"What do you mean weird?" Now I'm totally intrigued.

"I don't know, she's dressed pretty strange, she's got this whole leather dominatrix thing going on and she talks funny, like she's straight out of medieval times or something, oh and she looks pissed!" Explains Janie.

I walk slowly to the edge of the dining area and peek my head around the corner at the lobby. I see her, tall, leather outfit head to toe, black ornate cloak with a hood, ink black hair- it hits me. Lina! It has to be her! But why? Needless to say, Janie was right, she looks very angry.

I turn back to Janie, "Do me a favor, don't ask questions," she nods, "call the police station, ask for an Officer O'Connell tell him to come here quickly, I have a feeling this may get bad,"

"Um," she stalls.

"Just do it!" I yell as I push her through the kitchen doors.

I straighten myself out and make my way around the corner to the lobby. She is standing near the door facing away from me, her black and red streaked locks hanging off her hood.

"Can I help you miss?" I ask as if I have no idea who she is.

Her eyes widen at the sight of me as she turns to face me, "You must be Ravena,"

"Yes, who are you?" I reply.

"You needn't concern yourself with my name, it won't hold any meaning to you in a few minutes," she snaps.

"Oook, what do you want from me then?" I ask.

"Your life," she says as she slowly closes her eyes before re-opening them to reveal orange red piercing eyes.

Next thing I know she phases over to the counter, grabs me under my shoulders and flips me over the counter and onto the ground on my back. I hit the floor with such force, the wind is knocked out of me. I'm desperately gasping for air but to no avail. I struggle as I roll myself over and try to crawl away but Lina grabs me by the hair on the back of my head and lifts me to my feet. I scream in agony and try to swat at her grip with my hands, again with no results. She moves forward while still holding onto the back of my head and she slams my head on to the counter. Again I cry out in pain. This time I taste blood dripping down my face as my nose is now busted open. The pain is excruciating! She releases my hair and I slide off the counter and pool into a puddle on the floor. She leans down and grabs me by the throat, once again, lifting me to my feet. She is squeezing so hard, it's taking every last drop of energy I have left to try to pry her hands away. I am literally digging into her skin, but to no avail; it has to be Lina, a human would have bled by now. I can feel myself getting light headed now as she squeezes tighter.

"You thought you could just walk into his life and everything would be alright?! You thought you could get away with this?! You are meddling with beings and powers far beyond your feeble mind's ability to comprehend, mortal. You have made your life's last mistake, and now," she leans up to my ear, "I am going to kill you!"

She cocks her arm back and launches me through the store-front windows. The shattering glass makes a piercing sound that destroys what had remained of my senses. I can feel countless stings all over my body; glass. I am laying on the sidewalk now. I can barely hold my eyes open. I feel, very weak. I look up and can see Lina standing over me and then everything goes dark, quiet, peaceful.


	15. Look The Devil In The Eye

/ / Soo, yea, Raven's found herself in yet another bad situation huh? Don't worry, I'm a firm believer in Karma ... SOo thanks guys for sticking it out through my 2 month+ long hiatus while I helped my parents with their estate sale and had a bunch of other crap going on... Alas, we're back ... enjoy -V / /

**Bold**: Loki

**(2 hours prior to Raven's attack)  
I awake suddenly to the sound of my heart beating fast. It feels as though it's clawing it's way out of my chest. The anxiety of trying to come to terms with last night has completely overwhelmed my normally tamed heartbeat. I groan as I slowly roll over where my eyes are met with the early morning light. I feel as though I am in a fog; a heavy fog. Bits and pieces of last night start to make their ways through to my consciousness. Then it all seems to hit me at once as I lean up suddenly in my bed; Lina was a spy for Karnilla! Not only that but she used me in every possible way. She betrayed her people, she betrayed this kingdom, but worst of all, she betrayed me. Oh Lina, why? Why?! Why should I care why? That woman has caused more problems then I care to name.**

I try to set aside my anger for a while as I make my way to the wash room; gods know I need a bath. As I slide into the ornate silver tub filled with warm water, I am reminded of my Raven. I am reminded of that fiery night of passion between us; the night I made her mine. A warm sly smile draws across my face as I relive it in my head. My skin tingles in response to the hot water as I completely submerge myself; finally, silence.

A few moments pass and I am jolted back to reality by a knocking at my doors, which I can hear through the water "I'll be right there!" I yell as my head breaches the tub.

I grab my robe from the wall and walk to the door; it's Frigga.

"Mother, come in, come in," I say to her.

"I hope I wasn't disturbing you Loki," she replies.

"Not at all I was just getting out of the tub. Please excuse me while I put some clothes on,"

"Odin told me about what happened last night," she says solemnly as I dress behind the curtains.

"I'm sure he did. I'm sure everyone knows after my little, tantrum. Did you know of this prior?" I ask curiously.

"No Loki, your father made no mention of it before last night. I am truly sorry my son," She says with her head in her hand as I come from around the curtains.

"Yes, well, it seems the God of Mischief was beaten at his own game," I chuckle as I sit down next to her on the bed.

"Oh I'm sure you wish it was that simple, my son," she says placing her hand on my back.

"I cannot begin to describe how right you are mother. I just, I cannot understand what would drive a person to be that apathetic, that cruel, that deceitful, and still manage to pretend to love someone," I say shaking my head.

"Loki, there will always be things in our lives that we do not understand. At this point, the only consolation I can offer is that no one was hurt by all this," she says softly.

"Volstagg and Sif were," I reply sternly meeting her eyes with mine.

"Yes, but they survived-"

I cut her off slightly as I stand up flailing my arms, "It does not matter! I should have seen this! I should have, felt it, sensed it, SOMETHING! I was so blinded by love that I probably missed any signs that would have otherwise been obvious to me! It's not like me! And because of my infatuation, my father and 2 of my best friends were almost killed, not to mention any other Asgardians, had they made it into the city! I'm responsible!"

She stands up placing her hands on my shoulders, "You must not blame yourself, Loki. There is nothing you can do now differently. There is nothing we can do to change our pasts, we can only take what we've learned and use it for the future,"

"And what should I take away from this? Never fall in love ever again?" I reply as I turn away.

"No. Just keep being yourself and live your life the way you want to, for you, no one else,"

"I suppose that's all I can do at this point," I say as I rub my forehead and slowly meet her gaze.

She walks over to my dresser and runs her hand over my helmet as she looks back at me, smiling warmly, "I know things will get better, I mean, what of your mortal love, what was her name?"

"Raven, her name is Raven, mother," I reply.

"Raven. What's she like? She must be quite something to have stolen your heart,"  
A flood of memories and images go through my head at the mere mention of her name, "Mother, I can't even begin to explain to you how wonderful Raven is! We here speak of mortals like they are beneath us, but I now have a new perspective on the matter thanks to her. They have just as much to worry about in their lives as we do. They love and lose, they protect the ones they love, they have many responsibilities, they are no different from us. But Raven, she's different from them all. She is kind, loving, loyal, and, not to mention, stunningly beautiful. I cannot wait to bring her here, to my home, and show her all the wonders that Asgard has to offer,"

"If she is as wonderful as you say she is, I'm sure she'll fit right in here. I can't wait to meet her either," she replies with a beaming grin.

She gives me a firm hug just as my chamber doors fly open and Thor barrels in.

"Brother! So surprised to see you awake after your spell last night!" He bellows heartily.

"I wasn't that bad. I've seen you worse. Remember last year for Volstagg's nameday?" I joke.

His face turns to an embarrassed shock as he giggles slightly, "I remember I tried for a week to get the smell out of my clothes before burning them and having the tailors make new ones,"

"Yes, well, we were all in shock at how you managed to stand, let alone make it half way across the palace to the stables to pass out," I say as I laugh.

"I always said I would never live down being awoken by your horse licking my face," he grumbles, throwing his hands up a bit.

"No brother, you haven't," I say with hearty laugh barely able to finish the sentence.

"Wonderful!" he bellows with a heavy hint of sarcasm, "So, mother, good to see you, I hope I wasn't interrupting anything,"

"Not at all, Thor. Loki and I were just talking about what happened last night," Frigga replies.

"Oh you mean Loki getting liquored up almost as bad as me?" Thor replies with a ridiculous grin on his face.

Frigga shoots him a look as if to call out his insensitivity, "No Thor, I was referring to the information thrust onto your brother so hastily,"

"I know, I know, I was only making a joke," Thor replies as he walks over and puts his arm around my shoulder, "how are you feeling today, better I hope?"

"I am FEELING better but my head is still spinning after what father told me,"

"Did you know you broke one of the doors to the dining hall when you stormed out?" Thor laughs.

I smack my hand against my forehead laughing, "I did, didn't I? I was so angry last night, I'm surprised that that's all I did. I'm surprised I didn't set it on fire or something,"  
Thor pats my shoulder before pulling away, "The architects are still working on it,"

"It's not the worst thing to happen to doors around here, apparently,"

Thor hums in aggreance.

Just then, one of the servants blasts through the door and all but trips over himself, completely out of breath. It's one of Heimdall's servants, Mathias, "Beg your pardons, Your Majesty, Your Highnesses, but I bring an urgent message from Heimdall for Prince Loki,"

My heart sinks, "What is it?! What is the matter?!" I belt as I help him to his feet.

"He told me to tell you that Lina slipped passed him and is on Earth and has attacked Raven!"

I look to Frigga as my heart jumps into my throat and I all but choke on it, "Mother, I must go. Mathias," I grab his shoulders, "run to my father and tell him what has happened and tell him I know I was told to stay here but I cannot leave Raven defenseless against Lina,"

He nods feverishly as he runs back out the door. His footsteps echoing as he speeds down the halls before I can no longer hear them.

Thor holds out his arm and a few seconds later, Mjolnir flies into his hand, "I'm coming with you brother! Let's go!" Thor says as I smile daftly and he puts one hand on my shoulder, as do I, and we phase to the Observatory.

We come to, already phased into Earthly clothes, and Heimdall is already standing in the middle holding the key.

"Hurry my princes, you haven't much time!" he shouts as we run over to the platform.

He turns the key and we are catapulted across the galaxy to Earth. We arrive in the forest on the outskirts of the city. I look down a-ways and see Lina's horse; she's close. Just then I hear glass shattering.

"RAVEN!" I shout as I run as fast as I can down the hill towards the buildings.

"Brother, wait for me," Thor shouts as he runs after me, Mjolnir in tow.

I turn the corner and can see Raven laying on her back on the sidewalk. Then I see Lina walk out of the restaurant over to her and kick her in the ribs three times and in the head once before pulling a dagger from her cloak and un-sheathing it. I put all of my energy into my legs as I barrel towards her. She looks up at the sound of my boot steps, but by the time she's realized what is going on, I spear her to the ground, hard. The dagger goes flying and hits the ground inches from Raven's leg.

We slide through the snow-covered sidewalk for a few feet before coming to rest. She snaps her head towards me and throws a right hook hitting me square in the jaw. I snap back and lift her head up, head-butting her. She groans as her head hits the ground. She quickly grabs a handful of snow and throws it in my face and jabs me again, this time in my throat. I am taken back a bit as I choke. She somersaults backwards, kicking me under my chin and causing me to trip backwards and fall. She springs back up and stumbles back towards Raven. I jump out, grabbing her by the hair and yanking her back down to the ground. I grab her under the shoulders and swing her up, around, and over my head, slamming her to the ground on her back. I go to jump on top of her but she rears her legs up and kicks me square in the chest, effectively launching me off of her. She once again, stumbles to her feet and makes another break for Raven. I jump out, hug her legs, and we both fall once more to the ground. The side of her head bounces off the curb. I climb on top of her, grab her by the shoulders, lift her a bit and then slam her back to the ground as hard as I can. I can hear her struggle for air as I punch her in the side of the head once, twice, three times. The very sight of Raven lying lifeless a few feet away sending fire to my fist.

"You think you can get away with this?! You're nothing but a liar and a traitor! You will pay DEARLY for what you've done!" I shriek in her face as I see her eyes start to roll into the back of her head. Every word emphasized with lip and tooth as pure unbridled hatred flows off my tongue. I lift my fist to hit her again when Thor grabs my hand.

"That's ENOUGH brother! Go tend to Raven, I will handle Lina!" He says as he pulls me off her. I struggle a bit with him before relenting and walking backwards over to my Raven.

Thor simply drops Mjolnir on Lina's chest as what remained of her breath, tufts through her barely parted lips.

I lean down and scoop Raven up in my arms. She is badly injured. Blood is gushing from her nose and her skin is riddled with pieces of broken glass. I look in sheer terror at the sight of a large piece sticking out of her stomach. Her eyes are barely open as her eyelids flurry incoherently. She leans her head back to meet mine and I can see a very tiny smile on her face.

"Loki," she whispers very softly.

"I'm here my love. I'm here. By the gods I am sorry this happened. I fear terribly for you. What should I do?"

"John ... on ... his ... way .. here," she sputters.

Just as she says that, I see the police car pull up with another larger car with flashing lights.

"Oh my God, Loki, What happened?!" John shouts as him and Camron make their ways over.

I look to him as he makes his way over and kneels beside her, "John, Raven is injured very badly. I fear there isn't much time for her, I must get her back to Asgard. I don't think Earthly methods will be enough to save her," I whisper.

He simply purses his lips and nods. He then looks over to Lina, who is laying on the ground squirming and moaning under the weight of Mjolnir. He points to her confused, "What's up with her?"

"Her name is Lina. She is of Asgard. She is my former lover and she was out for revenge on Raven. We are taking her back with us to face justice,"

"Well what am I supposed to do about all this?" he gestures to the surrounding scene, "There are rules here on Earth you know,"

"You are a smart man, I'm sure you can come up with something," I reply as I stand, Raven cradled in my arms.

Thor picks Mjolnir off Lina's chest and she squirms a bit more. He kneels down and gives her a good solid blow in the middle of her face knocking her unconscious. He lifts her over his shoulder before looking back at me with a tiny grin, "Sorry brother, I wanted to get the last hit,"

"Fair enough," I reply as we head back to the Bi-Frost site.

Thor carelessly throws Lina's unconscious body over her horse as he looks up and shouts, "Heimdall, open the Bi-Frost!"

We are brought back to Asgard in a flurry of lights and colors. When we arrive in the Observatory, we are met by a small force of palace guards, no doubt here to take Lina away.

I run to the head guard, still atop his horse, "Go! As fast as you can and tell Eir to meet me in the healing room! Hurry, there isn't much time!"

He nods slightly as he turns the reins and nudges his horse's ribs and he takes off down the Bi-Frost.

Thor turns to me, "Go brother, I will take care of all this, get Raven to the healing room! I will be there as soon as I can!" I nod as I close my eyes and phase into the healing room and place Raven on the nearest bed. A flurry of Eir's healers are startled by my phase and rush over.

The eldest, Aida, rushes first to my side, "Your Highness!" She covers her mouth and gasps at the sight of Raven's battered form, "What's wrong? What has happened?" she asks hurriedly.

"Her name is Raven, she is a mortal and she was attacked by an Asgardian. She is very badly injured, I sent for Eir already. In the meantime get her ready for when she arrives," I tell her as I stand back and let the girls do their work. Of the seemingly endless talents I possess, healing was not one of them.

The girls get to work on carefully cutting away Raven's clothes. Pieces of bloodied and tattered cloth fall to the floor as my stomach begins to turn at the mere sight. My Raven; laying near death, covered in her own blood and helpless on a healing bed. Aida and another healer make their way over to Raven's naked, life-less body and begin removing the pieces of glass. As Aida removes a piece, the other girl sews the wound. There are so many pieces. They're everywhere; her face, her arms, her legs. Aida makes it to the large shard in her stomach. She closes her eyes and places her hand on the skin next to the wound and Raven's skin glows orange. The other girl pulls the glass out slowly and tosses in on a table with the others.

She goes to move on to the rest when I cut in, "Why did you not sew that one?"

She turns to me, "I used a spell to stop the bleeding so I could remove the shard, however if there is any internal organ damage, Eir would have to repair it,"

I simply nod and she continues.

Ten or so minutes go by and all the glass has been removed. It was all the healers could do without Eir because anything internal must be handled by her and her alone.

Aida walks over to me, solem, "We have done all we can Your Highness. Eir should be here soon,"

"Thank you Aida," I reply as my eyes make their way back to Raven. I notice, though, through my peripheral, Aida still standing there as if wanting to say more, "Is there something else on your mind dear?" I continue.

Her face flushes, "I'm so sorry Your Highness. Nothing. It's not my business,"

She begins to walk away, "Aida," I call out as she turns, "it's alright, what is it?"

She gestures to Raven gingerly, "It's just- I've never seen a mortal before, in person, it's a bit strange, who is she?"

I look to Raven with a faint smile, "She is my love. I met her on Midgard when I was banished. Problem was, I was banished for my love of another,"

She chimes in, "The 'Asgardian' who attacked her,"

"Yes. Her jealousy found it's way to my Raven and rendered her this, lifeless being you see before you," I reply as I sink my head into my hand.

I feel Aida's hand on my arm, "If I may, Your Highness, Eir will be here any minute and she will make sure to do her best with your love,"

Just as she says that, Eir bursts through the door, seemingly out of breath. Aida straightens up immediately. "I'm so sorry Your Highness, I was on the other side of the city,"

"Milady, this is the mortal, Raven-" Aida stutters before Eir cuts her off.

"Hold on, mortal?! Nobody said anything about a mortal!" She pants.

I shoot her a stern look, "That won't be a problem, will it?"

"N-no Your Highness. I just wasn't expecting this, is all," she turns back to Aida, "What can you tell me?"

"She is very badly injured. From what we've determined, she has 6 broken ribs, her right lung is punctured, a broken nose, a dislocated shoulder, and she also had a large shard of glass removed from her belly," she points to the glowing skin.

"Thank you Aida. I can take it from here. Stay close by though in case I need you, better yet, bring me a lot of healing cloth, I have a feeling we will be needing it," Eir replies.

Aida nods as she goes and brings back a pile of healing cloth and begins to clean up the mess left by the ordeal.

Eir walks over to Raven and begins. Eir, like many other goddesses, was very beautiful, in her own way. Her long, wavy, brown hair draped casually over her black, one shoulder dress. She always dressed in dark colors, which contradicted her purpose. She was also known to be a bit brash sometimes, which made having to see her, the butt of many jokes. But on the other hand, if you had to see HER, you were probably in too bad of shape to say anything to the contrary anyway.

Her lousy bedside manner aside, Eir was truly, a broken woman at her core. She was once like me; in love, happy. She was betrothed to a man named Othelius. He was a bit of a brute, but that's what drove Eir mad, the fact that he could hold his own against pretty much anything, or any one for that matter. The two of them were inseparable. Unfortunately, her story doesn't have a happy ending. Othelius was murdered, 3 days before they were to be wed. His killer was never found. Eir took the news awfully. She locked herself in her chambers for 2 months and did not come out. She didn't even see any of her handmaidens. Thankfully, everyone was relatively healthy during that time, what with her being unwilling to see ANYONE. She even turned Frigga away, who had tried nearly every day to speak to her and to try to console her, but to no avail. When she finally emerged from her chambers, she was a mere hollow shell of the woman she once was. It was as if her soul had been stolen from her by Hel herself. From that moment on, she was cold, emotionless and reclusive.

"She is your woman, isn't she?" Eir asks coldly as she starts to set Raven's broken ribs.

Puzzled by her tone, I reply, "Yes, she is. Why the tone?"

"Oh no reason, I just never thought you'd fall for a, mortal," she replies, emphasizing mortal.

"Why do you say it like there's something wrong with that?!" I ask a bit more defensively.

"Because they are beneath us," she replies, rolling her eyes to me as she finishes the last of the broken ribs.

"Still your tongue, Eir, this mortal is far from beneath you, from any of us. She is mine and I will viciously defend her if necessary, as you can see," I gesture to my dirty and torn clothes, as well as my own collections of bruises and cuts on my skin. She responds only by drawing a cocky smile. "You would be wise to show more respect. This woman has done more for me in six months than some have for me their entire lives; and she barely knew me! And now here she is, lying on a healing bed at the mercy of someone who, of all people, knows EXACTLY where I'm coming from!"

Her smile quickly fades as she comes to the realization of what I'm talking about.

"I-I am sorry, Your Highness. Please forgive my attitude, it wasn't right of me," She quietly replies as she resumes her duties.

She places her hand on Raven's right breast, which is purple, among other colors, from the punctured lung and closes her eyes. Her hand and Raven's skin both turn blue as she repairs the puncture. Her face contorts a bit as she has a bit of difficulty. I stir a bit, anxious, but alas, she removes her hand. She wraps Raven's chest with healing cloth before moving on to her nose. She makes short work of the break as she sets it, again, wrapping it in a brace and in healing cloth. She moves on to the gaping wound left by the glass shard. She examines the wound and places her hand on the glowing area. Her face, again, contorts, but this time she backs away slowly and walks over to a tray of medicines.

"Your Highness, there were quiet a few organs damaged by the shard. I do not know how long it will take to repair," she says to me.

"I want to stay here by her side," I reply.

"Fair enough," she replies as she looks through the bottles of medicine.

Come to think of it, I would like to have a word with Heimdall about how Lina managed to get by him.

"Eir, I'm going to have a word with Heimdall. Inform me the moment there is a change in her condition,"

"Yes Your Highness. I will be sure to,"

I run my fingers along the side of Ravens face, choking back the pain of seeing her like this, before leaving the room. I make my way to the stables, hop on my horse and make my way to the Observatory.

Heimdall is standing at the entrance as I dismount.

"Your Highness," he says with a nod.

"I'm sure you know why I am here Heimdall," I say casually.

He lowers his head a bit and closes his eyes, "Yes. You wish to know how Lina was able to slip passed me,"

"Yes, that would be a good start," I say a bit sternly.

"It is obvious, my prince, is it not? Lina's powers were obviously beyond what we could have expected; not surprising considering she has been a ward of Karnilla for some time now," he replies.

"Still, she was able to walk passed you as if your eyes were closed, with no trace of her using the Bi-Frost until it was too late," I say a bit angerly.

"I can assure you my prince, had I been aware, in any way, of Lina's presence, I would have been sure to stop her; by any means necessary,"

"I know Heimdall, I know. It just frustrates me knowing that she possessed all that power and in the end, ended up using it against me. All this, was to get back at me. My love, at the mercy of Eir, because of me," I say as I sink my head into my hands.

Heimdall steps a bit closer to me and places his large, armor-clad hand on my shoulder, "There is no way you could have known Lina's true intentions, nor known she would exact such horrible revenge on Raven. If I had no knowledge of it, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself,"

I look up at him from the cloak of my hand, nod, and manage a tiny smirk, "I suppose you're right. I need to stop blaming myself and focus on the one truly responsible," I reply as I roll my eyes into the farthest corners of my peripheral, peering at the palace.

Just as I focus my eyes elsewhere, I see the Bi-Frost light up, lightning filling the room and with its dissipation, Thor and Alice are before me.

The look of sheer bewilderment on Alice's face is not only visible, it's palpable. Her mouth is open, but there is no sign that any words will be able to pass her lips. She simply mouths words.

Thor looks down at her, "Welcome to Asgard, Alice,"

I look to Thor, "Does she know?"

Far be it from me to spoil this moment, but there are more pressing matters to address.

Thor's smile quickly fades as her turns down to Alice and puts his hands on the sides of her arms, "Alice, my dear, there is some terrible news I must bestow upon you,"

Her face blanks of all emotion but sheer terror, "What?! What's the matter?! Whats wrong?!" She belts, tugging at Thor's arm.

Thor looks back to me, as my eyes begin to well, hot with tears, "Alice, Raven has been attacked, brutally, by an Asgardian named Lina,"

Her arms shoot up to her mouth as she gasps, shaking her head in disbelief. After a few shakes, she turns with a quizzical look, "Wait a minute, isn't Lina the woman you were banished for loving?! What's her problem with Raven?!"

"There was much we didn't know about Lina, but the reason for her attack was to get back at me. You see, I was lied to and led to believe that she was in love with me, when in reality, she was using me to learn Asgardian secrets so that she may serve her master; a powerful sorceress named Karnilla. That being said, why she still felt it necessary to attack Raven is beyond me, if she was only using me from the beginning, she would have had nothing to gain from hurting Raven," I reply.

"Why don't you just ask her then," Alice replies sternly as she tightens up, clenching her fist.

Thor looks to Alice and to me, "Alice is right. In all this we have yet to confront her. Let's go see what that wench has to say for herself!"

"I'm coming too!" Alice chimes.

"No. It's too dangerous. There's no telling what could happen," Thor replies sternly.

"Well if it's sooo dangerous, why are you two going?" she replies like a defiant child questioning her parents.

"Dangerous for you, not for us," I reply.

"Look," she points to Thor, "you just yanked me from my apartment, flew me 'across the galaxy' or whatever, the last thing I am going to do is sit in a room somewhere and wait for something to happen. I'm coming with you! Raven is like my sister, this bitch owes me an explanation just as much as you!" she yells stomping her feet.

**_Stubborn little mortal._******

Thor moves to Alice, cupping her chin for her to look to him, "My dear, Lina is not to be taken lightly. However, if you truly wish to come with us, do as I say and don't try anything rash,"

She rolls her eyes, but relents, "Ok, fine. I'm still gunna give her a piece of my mind though,"

"Hmph," Thor replies with a smile.

"I can see why you've taken to her, she's just like you; stubborn as a Bilgesnipe," I say with a giggle.

"What's that?" She asks.

"You don't want to know, trust me," Thor replies, giggling as well as he holds out his hand for Alice, "Good bye Heimdall," he says before we all leave. Heimdall replies only with a nod.

"You may take my horse with Alice. I'll walk beside you," I say to Thor.

He smiles as he helps Alice onto the saddle.

We arrive at the entrance to the dungeon. Everything here is the opposite of what the palace above is. Everything is cold, dark, desolate, esoteric. The gate to the dungeon is the polar opposite of any of the others elsewhere. It is a large stone door with writing on it; writing in the old tongue. It even pre-dates Thor and myself. A single guard stands to the left of the gate; Tobias. He is not adorned with the regal armor that the other palace guards are, he wears an outfit of black and gray leather under black armor. His helmet is also significantly less ornate as well. Gunmetal in color, it has two, curled horns that point back, like that of a ram.

Thor looks to him and slightly nods. Tobias responds by gesturing to Alice with his battle staff, "What of this one?" He grumbles in his deep raspy voice.

"She is with me Tobias," Thor responds sternly.

He looks back to her then back to Thor, before turning around and grabbing the lever for the gate. When he grabs the lever, it turns green, and pulls down. The lever is driven by magic and can only be pulled by Tobias and the royal family. When we step inside, the only sound is that of the humming of the force field. The hallway is dimly lit by low torches. As we make our way down, only one cell is lit; Lina's. A cold chill runs down my spine and my heart begins to race as we approach the cell. Lina is sleeping on a cot on the floor. I am surprised that Tobias even gave her one after what she did. Thor clears his throat and she stirs, then I notice the glowing, red rings around her wrists; magic inhibitors. No doubt there to stop her from doing anything she will most definitely regret. She finally rolls herself upright, bloodied and battered, hair all disheveled. She turns to face us and begins to laugh haphazardly as she shakes her head.

"Why am I not surprised you came?" she says, glaring at me.

"Why wouldn't I? I demand an explanation for what you did!" I belt to her.

She side-steps my question as she turns to Alice smiling deviously, "Who's that, another weak and pathetic mortal?"

"Fuck you!" Alice spats as she holds out her arms, devoid of fear.

Thor holds out his arm in front of Alice to calm her, "Calm your tongue my dear," he whispers to her to which she replies with an eye roll.

"Typical mortal; meddling in affairs far beyond their puny mind's ability to grasp," she spews.

I look back to Alice, who's eyes are flared up as she fights against Thor's arm.

"You didn't answer my question! Why did you attack Raven?!" I demand as I pound my fist on the cell.

"She didn't deserve you," she responds casually.

"And you did?! You didn't really love me! Our whole relationship was a lie! You used me!" I scream.

"It doesn't matter at this point. Although I didn't exact my revenge, I made enough of a point to have made myself clear,"

"And what's that?! That you're a liar and a traitor?!" I scream once more.

Her eyes lower and then raise again slowly, "That they don't belong in our world,"

I feel the anger welling up inside me as I purse my lips in anger and rip my hand on the lever to the right of the cell and the force field drops.

"Loki!" Thor yells in protest as he shields Alice behind his arm.

I ignore him as I leap at Lina and grab her by the throat pushing her up on the wall, "Tell me why you attacked Raven, our I will kill you, right here, right now," I hear a small gasp from Alice behind me.

"You wouldn't!" she chokes.

I squeeze harder and she coughs harder, clawing at my hand, "TELL ME!"

It takes her a moment before anything makes its way out, "Because I loved you," she replies, her words barely audible.

"LIES!" I scream as I move my face closer to hers.

"I'm ... telling ... the ... truth," she chokes.

I growl as I throw her from my grip into the wall to my left and she falls to the floor. I step down from the cell and push the lever back up, putting the force field back up. "How can you expect me to believe anything that comes out of your horrid mouth?!"

She rubs he neck as she crawls up and sits on her knees, "I don't expect you to do anything! But I can assure you, that despite my ulterior motives, I did fall in love with you. I wasn't meant to, that much is true, but I did! Then when I hear you got over me so quickly, it drove me over the edge,"

I gaze at her slowly over my shoulder, "The only reason that you are still alive is because Raven still is. Be very thankful for that, but I assure you, you will never step foot outside that cell ever again!"

She looks down at her hands before slowly meeting my gaze, "You want to the know the whole truth, fine, here it is. 4 years before we met, I was a drifter, never staying in one place for too long. I did what I had to do to eat and to survive. One day I happened upon a convoy. I attempted to rob it, only to find out the convoy belonged to the Queen of Nornheim, Karnilla. Right before she was going to kill me, she sensed that I possessed a strong will for magic, so she spared my life as long as I became her ward and served her. So, as time went on and my skills with magic grew stronger, she hatched a plan to cause some chaos in Asgard. Her intent was to have me seduce you and in doing so I would learn the ins and outs of the palace and use that to bring Jotuns into Asgard. At first, it was just business, I didn't feel anything towards you. But as time went on, and I saw how nice you were towards me, I started to fall for you, hard. I was in a terrible position, on one end, I couldn't tell Karnilla because she would in all probability kill me, and I couldn't tell you because I didn't want to hurt you; it was a lose - lose situation. So, I did nothing on either side. Then when you were banished I lost what was left of my sanity. Coincidentally, though, Odin saw fit to release me to Karnilla, assuming she was the only one who could 'imprison me,' little did he know, he was doing her a favor. And now here we are,"

"Yes, here we are, the liar, the fool and the innocent victim," I spit.

"I'm not the one you need to worry about now, Karnilla is. Now that I'm here, she will most likely try to launch another attack. You don't want your 'love' here when that happens, do you?"

I turn to her, squinting in anger, "No more harm will come to her, that much is clear,"

She draws a sly smile, "Can you guarantee that?"

I turn away and head back down the hall, Thor and Alice follow behind me.

The three of us arrive back in my chambers. I'm still reeling from the conversation with Lina, then it occurs to me what I must do.

"We must kill Karnilla," I say turning to Thor.

"Now brother, I know what Lina said is having adverse effects on you, but let's not make any bold decisions," he pleads.

"Lina's right, how can we now guarantee the safety of this kingdom with her still alive," I reply.

"Yes but in all the time she has been in Nornheim she has never attempted anything direct, she only recently started using Lina to cause trouble,"

"Exactly, now that she's gotten a taste that she can get away with it, whats going to stop her from trying something more bold, more dangerous, we both know she's capable of so much more," I say sternly to him.

His eyes relent, "I guess you're right. But what are we going to do?" he asks.

I look into his eyes as a sly smile draws on my face, "We're going to Nornheim,"


End file.
